Yero my Hero
by Ultimate Queen of Cliffies
Summary: Elphaba can't believe her own life. Fiyero Tiggular is her boyfriend and Galinda Upland has befriended her, and everything is as wonderful as it could possibly be. But when she leaves home for Lurlinemas, things start to happen and she is forced to make a few tough decisions by herself. Mostly musicalverse, some things borrowed from the book. Shiz-era, AU. Fiyeraba.
1. Saving Artichokes

**AN: No, no, this isn't the sequel to Witches, Bubbles, & Broomsticks. This is just a random oneshot that came to me when I was watching the first episode of Beauty and the Beast (don't know if you know the series, they only started broadcasting it here in the Netherlands this evening). It's set right before Fiyero's arrival at Shiz. Hope you like it and please review! :)**

**Update: As from now on, it's not a oneshot anymore! ^^**

* * *

_And then a hero comes along_

_With the strength to carry on_

_And you cast your fears aside_

_And you know you can survive_

* * *

Elphaba Thropp sat up groggily, one hand flying to her forehead. She scowled as she pulled back her fingers, finding them covered with blood, and she swore fervently. She was feeling dizzy and disoriented, and she had a few bruises besides the cut in her forehead, but at least her tormenters were gone now.

It had all started the way it usually did; she had been on her way back from town, passing the station, when she had encountered a few of her fellow Shiz students. They had started pestering her, calling her 'artichoke' and 'green bean', and Avaric had shoved her as she had tried to walk past them. She had tripped and they had been laughing at her – there wasn't really anything new about that, but she had been stupid enough to get worked up about it and her powers had gotten out of control again. She had accidentally released her magic; it had rippled through the air and knocked over a few of the students. Most of them had been terrified at that, stepping back a little, but Avaric and a few other male students had only gotten angry. The moment she had seen their faces darkening, she should have ran, but she had been too proud and too stubborn to let them chase her away like that.

That's when they had started beating her, calling her names all the while. She had fought them, but there were too many of them, and they had dragged her over to the train tracks and pushed her off the platform, causing her to crash onto the railway more than a meter below. They had scoffed at her and shouted at her that she should just stay there so that she would be run over by a train, for the world would be better off without such an 'awful green witch', but eventually – and thankfully – they had left.

She had hit her head as she fell, which was probably why she was feeling so dizzy right now. She blinked a few times, trying to clear her vision, but everything was still blurry and it took her a while to realise that was also because her glasses were gone. She had no idea where they were – still at the platform, probably, along with her bag. She hoped they hadn't ruined the glasses, but she feared they would have – especially Avaric would have never let the chance pass to do something to irritate her.

There was a pounding sound in her ears as she tried to get up, but her legs felt a little wobbly and she closed her eyes, trying to stop the world from spinning. That was probably why it took her a moment to realise that the pounding sound wasn't just the blood she could hear pumping through her veins. It was an approaching train.

The first thought flashing through her mind was, _Now Avaric has his wish_, because even though she didn't particularly have a death wish, she didn't feel like she would be able to get out of the way in time. The world was still spinning and she couldn't even see from what direction the train was coming or how close it was – both because of her absent glasses and because the blood from the cut in her forehead kept streaming into her eyes, blurring her vision even further. She just stood there, swaying, convinced that this was going to be the end of her.

But then, suddenly, someone leapt at her and pushed her against the wall of the platform, covering her body with his own as the train rushed by, barely missing them with mere centimetres to spare. She squeezed her eyes shut and her heart pounded as the train passed them. She didn't seem capable of any thought at all and it seemed like an eternity before the train was gone and whoever had saved her pulled back a little to look at her. She immediately missed his body warmth – it had been a long time since someone had been that close to her, even if he only had been that close because he had been trying to save her life.

'Are you okay?' the boy asked in concern, and she nodded, then shook her head, then burst into tears. She was usually definitely _not _the teary one – in fact, she absolutely _loathed _crying, but she didn't seem able to stop. Her rescuer didn't really seem to mind; he merely just held her, rubbing soothing circles over her back as she sobbed into his shoulder. She didn't even really care – after all, she didn't know this boy, and she would probably never see him again in her life, and so she allowed herself to cry just this once.

When the tears subsided a bit, he made a gesture. 'Let's get back up on the platform, shall we?'

She nodded and allowed him to help her up and guide her to a bench, where he sat her down and handed her a handkerchief. 'Were you trying to kill yourself?'

She looked at him in horror. 'No!'

It was only then he seemed to notice gash the in her forehead, because he drew in his breath with a sharp hiss and took the handkerchief back from her. 'Here…' He pressed it against the wound, as gently as possible, but she winced at the touch anyway. He looked at her with dark blue eyes. 'Did anyone do this to you?'

'Avaric,' she mumbled, 'and his friends. It's nothing new, really. Well, this is,' she corrected herself, indicating the cut in her head, 'and they have never shoved me off a train platform before, either, but, well… they're creative. I bet they'll come up with something even better next time.'

'You sound like this is normal to you,' the boy said angrily, and she flashed him a brief, mirthless smile. 'It _is _normal to me. Have you taken a good look at me yet? People have been harassing me all my life.'

'Because of your skin?'

'Obviously.'

He ran a finger down her bare arm thoughtfully, a motion that made her shiver involuntarily, but he didn't seem to notice. 'I like it.'

She looked at him warily. 'Excuse me?'

'Your skin. It's… different. I like it.'

She scoffed softly, but he ignored it and directed his attention at her wound. 'I think that might need stitches, it's pretty deep. You need to see a doctor - I'll go with you.'

'That's not necessary, thank you,' she said gruffly, getting up and brushing off his hand. 'Who are you, anyway? And why were you helping me in the first place?'

'I'm Fiyero,' he introduced himself. 'And why I helped you… what kind of crazy question is that? Did you think I'd have left you there to be run over by a train?'

'Most people I know would have,' she muttered, and he shook his head and got up as well, grasping her shoulders. 'I have no idea who you are, but it seems to me like you've been mistreated by people for too long. Please let me help you.'

She wasn't sure why she said yes, but for some reason, she did, and she watched as his whole face lit up. 'Come on, then. You said you were going to Shiz, right? I'll take you to the medical department there – I have to go there myself, anyway. Not the medical department, obviously, but the university.'

Her eyes went wide at that. 'You're a student?' So far for not ever seeing him again in her life.

'I'm new,' he explained with a crooked grin. 'I was supposed to arrive by carriage, but it broke down halfway and so I took the train. You must know, I _never _do that, but I'm glad I did, or you would have been dead right now, train girl.'

It was only then she realised that she hadn't even thanked him for saving her life – _and _that she hadn't introduced herself. She smiled a little. 'It's Elphaba.' Then she avoided his gaze and stared at the floor as she added softly, 'And thank you.'

He looked at her, an unreadable, azure gaze that seemed to penetrate all the protective layers she had so carefully built around her for all these years and look right into the core of her very being. She shifted uncomfortable under his gaze, wanting to look away, but finding herself unable to. His hands were still on her shoulders and he shifted them slightly, sliding one down her arm and around her waist and the other around her neck as he slowly moved closer to her…

Again, she wanted to pull away, but she couldn't. He frightened her beyond words, yet she found herself unmistakably drawn to him; and when he kissed her, it felt to her as if the world, that had been seemingly off its axis ever since she could remember, suddenly rightened itself. Here he was, a complete stranger, and yet he cared for her. No one had ever done that before in her life.

She reluctantly pulled away as she felt the blood trickle down her face again, and he gently wiped it away with his thumb. 'Come on, I'll get you to a doctor.' He caressed her cheek with his fingertips and she blushed a little, causing him to smile and plant a soft kiss on her hair. 'I don't know what is wrong with the people who did this to you, or with the other people that have been convincing you that you're not worth caring for, that they could not see how wonderful you really are,' he told her, putting an arm around her waist to steady her as she swayed again. She sniffled softly at that and before she knew it, she was crying again – she wasn't even sure why. He held her close, whispering comforting words in her ear, and he didn't let go even when her crying stopped. They just stood there for a while, before she whispered faintly, 'I don't want to go back.'

She loathed herself for that moment of weakness, for being such a coward, but it was the truth. She just couldn't stand it anymore – all those people always laughing at her and making fun of her, and no one there to ever consider how she was feeling, or to even be remotely interested in her, other than to harass her. She didn't want to go back to Shiz, where she'd have to face Avaric and the other students and pretend to be strong and immune to their actions again.

Fiyero, however, pulled back at that, taking her hand and squeezing it. 'We're going back together,' he told her earnestly. 'And we're going to face them together, too. I promised I'd help you, and I will, Elphaba. You don't have to be alone ever again in your life if you don't want to be.'

She stared at him, barely believing what he was saying and almost bursting into tears again, but thankfully, she managed to compose herself this time. Instead, she smiled at him – a real, genuine smile. 'Thank you.'

'It's my pleasure,' he said sincerely, locking eyes with her for a moment before sliding his arm around her waist again to support her, as they started walking in the direction of Shiz University.


	2. Wonderful Dream

**AN: Hi everyone! **

**As you know, your wish is my command, so I decided to grant your wishes and make this a multichapter - mostly because I didn't really have inspiration for the WB&B sequel and I decided I could very well combine this other idea I had with a sequel to this oneshot. So, this is no longer a oneshot and here's the next chapter :). Thank you for all the lovely reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I wish.**

* * *

_Let the magic dry your tears and heal your heart_

_Love is the reason, it's always the real thing_

* * *

Elphaba was certain she would _never _forget Galinda Upland's face as the blonde laid eyes on her and Fiyero, it was _so _hilarious. Her eyes quite literally bulged out of her head and her face flushed beet red, before she cried, 'Oh my Oz! It's Fiyero Tiggular!'

Immediately, ever single girl on campus seemed to be staring at them as Galinda's eyes went from Fiyero to Elphaba and back to Fiyero, as if she was thinking about possible reasons why _Fiyero _would want to be seen with the _Artichoke_. Then, she noticed Fiyero's arm around Elphaba's waist, and her eyes grew wide as saucers. Elphaba stifled a giggle and Fiyero deliberately took her hand and kissed it, slowly, with an exaggerated gesture, gaze fixed on Galinda. The blonde now looked as if she would explode and Fiyero flashed her a radiant smile. 'Ladies,' he nodded as he and Elphaba passed them. Neither of them looked around once as they continued their way to the infirmary.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Elphaba couldn't hold back her laughter anymore. Fiyero was laughing, too. 'Did you see their faces?' he snickered.

'Galinda looked as if she was going to faint!' Elphaba chortled and Fiyero looked at her. 'Galinda?'

Elphaba made a face. 'The blonde bimbo who was staring at us. She's my roommate.'

He stroked her arm in a mock gesture of sympathy. 'I'm so, so sorry.'

She smiled at him. 'It's not that bad. We mostly just ignore each other.' She frowned slightly. 'How did she know who you were, though?'

He gave her a rather sheepish, lopsided grin that immediately caused her stomach to do somersaults. 'I'm kind of… famous.'

She kept looking at him until he finally admitted, 'I'm the Prince of the Vinkus.'

Her eyes widened. 'Fiyero Tiggular, the _Crown Prince _of the Vinkus?'

'Yeah…' he said, still looking sheepish. 'That one.'

'The one that has been kicked out of three universities and is famous for having dated pretty much every girl in Oz?' Suddenly, she was angry. How could she have been so stupid? He must feel really smug about himself now, having succeeded in seducing the Artichoke. The crown on his work.

'I'm not proud of that,' he said, all serious now. He took her hands and made her look at him. 'Hey. You are _not _one of those girls, okay? Those girls didn't mean anything to me. You do.'

'Why?' she asked softly. 'You don't even know me.'

He flashed her a smile. 'Not really, no. But you can tell a lot about people's personalities just by looking at them.'

She folded her arms. 'What does my exterior tell you about my personality, then?'

He looked her in the eyes. 'You're a strong person – my guess, from your skin and what you have told me, is that people have been avoiding, or even teasing you your entire life, and so you had to become strong to keep going. You use books,' he nodded towards her bag, which was filled with books, 'to escape from the real world, because the real world sucks. You have these barriers around you to protect yourself from the outside world and you hide your feelings behind sarcastic and witty comments, pretending you don't care at all, but in reality, you do. You lock people out because it's easier that way, but really you just want someone to take the time and effort to get to know you and see past those barriers, to let someone in, even though that probably terrifies you to death.'

She stared at him dumbfounded. Was she that easy to read? How could he see through her every façade within just minutes? He was right – it _did _terrify her to death… but at the same time, he was also right about what she wanted. She wanted him to take the effort to get to know her, to see past her green skin. She wanted to let him in... but she wasn't sure she could.

She felt tears pricking her eyes again, but she blinked them away, determined not to cry in front of him _again_. 'Well done,' she finally croaked, her voice sounding not quite as her own. 'Now it's my turn.'

He looked at her with those calm, azure eyes, and she squinted at him – her glasses had indeed been crushed underneath someone's foot and so she couldn't really see everything clearly. 'I'm not the only one pretending, obviously,' she said softly, and something changed in his eyes, although she couldn't really name what that something was. 'You pretend to be so shallow and self-absorbed, an empty-headed, brainless party animal – that's what I heard, anyway… But you're not. You _do _care, and you _are _smart. For some reason, you just won't let people see it… I guess that's why you're so unhappy.'

Now it was his turn to stare at her. 'Am I that obvious?' he finally asked, and she laughed softly. 'No. I'm just really good at reading people. I've never really interacted with them, so I observed them instead.'

'Clever.' He nodded slowly, musing over what she had just told him. 'You're completely right, you know.'

'So were you.'

There was an intense look in his blue eyes as he looked at her more closely, as if he only saw her, _really _saw her, for the very first time. He moved closer to her, and she knew he was about to kiss her again, but she pulled away just before their lips touched. 'I'm sorry,' she whispered. 'I…'

A new wave of dizziness came over her and she swayed, closing her eyes for a moment. His arm was immediately around her waist again to steady her. 'Let's get you to that doctor, shall we?'

* * *

'A mild concussion,' the nurse concluded after examining Elphaba and stitching up her forehead. 'You should rest for a few days, there's not really anything else you could do about it. You might be dizzy for a few days, or having headaches, but they will fade.' She disappeared without another word to fix the paperwork and Fiyero looked at the green girl. 'You should rest,' he repeated the nurse. 'Why do I get the feeling you're not going to do that?'

'Because you're incredibly perceptive?' Elphaba asked innocently. He laughed and lifted his hand to her cheek, but stopped when she flinched back a little. 'I'm sorry.'

'No, I'm sorry,' she sighed. 'I'm just not used to… being touched by other people. Especially not like that.' She looked at him and wondered why she was still trying to deny what he was doing to her. 'But… I like it when you do it,' she admitted softly, and the smile that lit up his face was brilliant. His fingers grazed her cheek, ever so softly, and he leaned in closer…

She pulled away when she heard footsteps. High heels, by the sound of them. She looked around – not that there was much to see, since the nurse had closed the curtains around her bed so that she was separated from the rest of the room, but she could see enough. High heels peeking from under the curtains. Pink heels.

'What…' Fiyero began, but she put her finger against his lips and pointed to the shoes. He followed her finger and grinned when he noticed the heels. He gave her a mischievous look and started moaning exaggeratedly. 'Oh, Elphaba! Please go on!'

She stifled a girlish giggle. The shoes shifted a bit as Fiyero started making slurping noises and Elphaba couldn't restrain herself any longer and burst out laughing. Fiyero was laughing, too, falling half over her on the bed. After a moment, he looked up, still grinning, but both their grins slowly faded as they locked eyes and the whole world seemed to stop for a moment. She forgot about her concussion, her doubts, even about Galinda spying on them. Before she knew it, he had bridged the distance between their lips and he was kissing her all over again.

The moment his lips touched hers, she was lost, just like she had been the first time. They pulled apart after a long moment, breathless, and Fiyero rested his forehead against hers – carefully as not to touch her cut – and looked into her eyes.

'I can't believe you're doing this,' she whispered. 'Why would you choose me over Galinda Upland? Or any other _pretty _girl, for that matter? Any _normal _girl?'

'Because you're amazing,' was his simple, but honest reply. 'That has nothing to do with your skin colour – if anything, the green makes you even more amazing. It's exotic, mysterious. It's beautiful.'

She searched his eyes for the lie she was sure would be in there. Instead she only found determination and honesty, and she couldn't believe it. 'You're such a moron.'

He smiled at that. 'I know.'

'You could have Galinda Upland. Of the _Upper _Uplands. You could have Pfannee, or Shenshen, or Milla. Hell, you could have all of them at the same time, if you wanted to. So why me?'

He looked at her earnestly. 'Because you're beautiful.' He kissed her collarbone. 'And independent.' A kiss on her throat. 'And smart.' One on her jaw line. 'And witty.' Her forehead. 'And strong.' Her nose. 'And because I'm deeply honoured that I have been the one you opened up to. Because I can tell that you don't do that very easily, and that you don't like to show yourself vulnerable to anyone, and I'm proud that you trusted me enough to show me that side of you.'

'That didn't have anything to do with trust,' she muttered under her breath. 'I only let myself do that because I thought I'd never see you again in my life and so it didn't matter.'

'That must have been an unpleasant surprise for you,' he smirked. 'Finding out I was going to Shiz as well.'

She laughed. 'No… by that time I didn't really care anymore. I actually felt kind of relieved. I would have hated not ever seeing you again.'

'That feeling would have been mutual,' he murmured, finding her lips with his again and kissing her softly. He quickly pulled away when they heard the nurse return.

'All your test results look fine,' she announced. 'You can go now.'

They thanked her and left the infirmary. Galinda was nowhere to be seen; she probably took off earlier. Elphaba was still swaying a bit and Fiyero supported her again with an arm around her waist. 'I'll walk you back to your dorm,' he offered. She wanted to protest almost instinctively – to tell him that she was perfectly capable of walking there herself and that she didn't need his help. But he looked at her with pleading blue eyes and she swallowed the words and smiled instead.

'I'd like that.'

* * *

Elphaba was sitting on her bed, reading a book – no surprise there – when she became aware of someone staring at her intently.

Slowly, she lowered the book to look over it. Sitting on the other bed was Galinda, eyes narrowed, watching her. She didn't say anything, so finally, the green girl asked gruffly, '_What?_'

'Are you and Fiyero dating?' Galinda blurted out. Elphaba raised an eyebrow at her. 'I don't know. What makes you think that's any of your business?'

Galinda narrowed her eyes even further. 'I'm _Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands_ and I'm _perfect_. _I _was supposed to be dating Fiyero.'

Elphaba almost chuckled at that, but she restrained herself. 'Well, you can't always get what you want, can you?'

'Did you two kiss?'

'As if you wouldn't know.'

The blonde looked at her as if though she were crazy. 'What's that supposed to mean?'

Elphaba suppressed a sigh. 'You were there, at the infirmary. You followed us in and you saw him kiss me.'

'Wait a minute,' Galinda said in her high-pitched voice, squeaking even more than usual. 'How do you know I followed you?'

The green girl rolled her eyes. 'It's impossible to sneak around silently wearing high heels. You of all people should know that. I heard you and I saw your shoes peeking from under a curtain as well.'

Galinda narrowed her eyes again. 'Half the girls at Shiz wear high heels. What makes you so sure that it was me?'

'The shoes were pink.'

Galinda , realising there was nothing she could say to that because she _was, _in fact, the only girl who ever wore pink shoes, fell silent. 'Oh.'

She didn't say anything after that and Elphaba returned to her book, until Galinda declared shrilly, 'He's probably not worth of me, anyway. I mean, he must be a complete moron to choose you over me.'

Elphaba didn't even feel insulted – it was true, after all. 'That's what I told him,' she said, flipping the page and reading on.

Galinda stared at her. 'What?'

'I said, that's what I told him. When he said he didn't want you, or any other girl for that matter, but me. I told him he was a moron.'

The blonde was gaping at her now, as if she couldn't believe her ears. Elphaba abandoned her book once again, sighing, to look at her roommate. 'What _now_?'

'Well… We kind of thought you were… I don't know. I mean… that almost sounds as if you're _insecure_.' She laughed a little at that ridiculous idea, but the smile quickly fell from her face when she saw Elphaba still looking at her, one eyebrow raised. '_Are _you?' the blonde asked, voice squealing in surprise.

Elphaba didn't really want to answer that. Instead she asked, 'Would that be so hard to believe?'

'Well…' Galinda's voice trailed away. 'You never _act _like it… You always seem so confident.'

'And you always seem so shallow and empty-headed, but I'm sure that's not all you really are.'

Galinda fell silent again, not certain if she should took that as an insult or not. She decided to let it slip. 'So you're _not _that confident, then? You're actually saying it surprises you too, that Fiyero chose you over me?'

'_Yes_,' Elphaba said, as if that much should be obvious. 'It's not like I've had princes swooning over me my entire life. On the contrary. Most people have treated me like… well, like _you _have been treating me.'

More silence. 'Are you saying it _does _bother you how we treat you? You never seem to care…'

'Artichokes have feelings too, Galinda.'

'Oh.' Silence again. 'I guess I hadn't really thought about that.'

Elphaba sighed and closed her book. 'Look, Galinda. I honestly have no idea why Fiyero chose me when he could have had you – especially since you _are_, as you said yourself, pretty much perfect. You're normal-coloured, your parents have a high status and you're much, much prettier than I could ever be. But you're going to have to ask _him_, not me.'

Galinda was looking at her with wide eyes. 'You think I'm pretty?'

'I don't think anyone with working eyes could doubt that, Galinda.'

'But… you hate me.'

'_Hating _is not really the right word,' Elphaba said thoughtfully. 'It's more like… loathing.'

Galinda gave her a pointed stare. 'You don't tell people you loathe that they look pretty.'

Elphaba shrugged and turned to put the book on her night table, then switched off the table-lamp. 'I'm going to sleep now, if you don't mind. The nurse said I have to rest as much as possible, as with my concussion and all.'

Galinda didn't seem to get the hint – she shifted until she was seated at the edge of her bed and dangled her legs back and forth. 'What happened to you that you got that concussion, anyway?'

'Avaric,' Elphaba replied shortly.

The blonde girl gasped. 'He hit you in the head?'

'He pushed me off a train platform.'

Galinda's eyes bulged. 'In front of a riding train?'

'Would I still be here if that had been the case?'

The girl thought about that for a moment. 'No, I suppose not.'

'It was close, though,' Elphaba admitted, lying down to go to sleep, staring at the ceiling. 'Fiyero saved me.'

'So _that's _how the two of you met!' Galinda exclaimed. 'I was wondering how you could have seduced him that quickly while none of us had even seen him arrive yet!'

'I did not _seduce _him, Galinda.'

'Oh, no, of course not,' Galinda said, waving her hand. 'You wouldn't even know how to do that, anyway. You know? Someone should give you flirting lessons.'

'Yes, because so many boys would _love _me flirting with them,' Elphaba said sarcastically. The sarcasm wasn't really appreciated by Galinda, though. 'Oh, come on, Elphaba! There's more to you than just your skin!'

Elphaba sat up and stared at the blonde incredulously. 'All right, who are you and what have you done to Galinda?'

Galinda giggled. 'I just only now realized that, you know, you have feelings too, and you probably don't really like us laughing at you all the time… and, you know, you can't help it that you're green, after all… Although I do wonder – is it contagious?'

'No. It's not. Otherwise Fiyero would have been green by now.'

'That's a good point,' Galinda said, nodding violently. 'So, you can't help being the way you are, you know, green, and dreary, and stuff…'

'Why, thanks, Galinda,' the green girl said drily, but her roommate didn't even seem to hear her. 'So… I guess I kind of feel sorry for you, and that's why I'm going to make you my new project. I'm going to make you popular!'

'You really don't have to do that.' _Please, please don't do that,_ Elphaba begged in silence. _I so do not want to be forced to wear pink._

'I know!' Galinda squealed. 'That's what makes me so nice! So you have to rest now, with that concussion of yours, but there aren't any classes tomorrow morning, are there? So I'm going to do a makeover before class tomorrow and you're going to look fa-bu-lous!'

'Why?' Elphaba asked. It seemed to be the question she asked most these days, but she couldn't really comprehend the change in Galinda's behaviour. 'You hate me.'

'I never hated you! I… loathed you,' Galinda giggled. 'But I don't anymore. Because, well, I guess you're probably kind of nice. And I feel kind of bad for treating you the way I did – I'm sorry about that. You're right, Artichokes have feelings too – although I won't call you that anymore,' she hastened to say. 'Instead I'll call you… Elphie! Can I call you Elphie?'

'That sounds a little perky.'

'It's not perky, it's nice! So I'll make you popular, Elphie, and we can be friends! I'll even forgive you for taking Fiyero away from me – after all, _I _can still get any other boy I want, and you… well… not. And he's clearly into you, and I think it's cute, so I'm totally supporting your relationship – as a friend. Do you want to be friends?' she chattered. She was bouncing up and down on her bed now, and Elphaba thought about this for a moment. Did she trust Galinda? She wouldn't have earlier, but something in the Galinda's attitude and pleading blue eyes convinced Elphaba that this change of heart was real and genuine, and so she said softly, 'Yes. Yes, I'd like that.' She had never had a friend before, and it certainly would make it easier to room with the bubbly blonde.

Galinda's smile lit up the room and she squealed with delight. 'Oh, Oz, Elphie, this is so thrillifying! We're friends now! Yay!'

Elphaba smiled at her wearily and Galinda stopped bouncing. 'Oh. Yes. Concussion. Resting. I'm sorry, Elphie, I'm just so excited! Let's go to sleep now, shall we? Goodnight, Elphie!'

'Goodnight, Galinda,' the green girl said softly. She couldn't really believe what had just happened – today seemed like some strange dream, but a really, really nice one… one she didn't hope to wake up from anytime soon.


	3. Fighting With Dicks

**AN: Sorry for the rude chapter title. It seemed fitting - you'll see why :3.**

**Thank you for reviewing! Wicked4Life, thank you so much - that's really all us writers would ever want to hear :). My Mom was probably wondering why I had this goofy smile on my face when I was checking out my new reviews this morning. And yes, I have, in fact, written a script, too, along with a few of my friends, for a play performed at my former high school. That was really cool.**

**Silvine Fae Graycin: yes, I am at the moment working on both stories at the same time, for the simple reason that I had inspiration for both of them and I was too impatient to not post them immediately :P. If any of you notice me mixing up things or something, however, please tell me and I'll put one of them on hold.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

* * *

_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger_

_Stand a little taller_

_What doesn't kill you makes a fighter_

* * *

When Elphaba entered the classroom the following morning, Galinda linking arms with her and chattering on about how 'positively wondrous' she looked, she looked around a bit warily. Fiyero, who was sitting in the seat next to Elphaba's, looked at her in utter surprise and disbelief. She knew he was probably still deciding what he was more surprised about: the fact that Galinda was clinging to her as if they were best friends – which, according to Galinda, they actually were now – or the fact that Elphaba was… well… Galindafied.

'Not a word,' she warned him through clenched teeth as she seated herself next to him. Galinda quickly slid into the seat to Elphaba's other side and giggled hysterically. 'So, Fiyero? What do you think?'

She saw him looking her up and down and he opened his mouth to say something, but she shut him up with one dangerous look. 'I mean it. Don't you dare.'

He raised an eyebrow. 'Don't I dare what?'

'Laughing at me.'

Galinda squealed indignantly. 'Hey! There's nothing to laugh at - you look amazingly fabulously _wonderful_!'

Elphaba stared at her new friend. 'Galinda,' she said slowly, emphasising every word. 'There is a pink flower in my hair.'

'I think it looks pretty good on you,' Fiyero said, which made Galinda squeal again, only with delight this time. 'See? I told you! Pink goes good with green! Oh, Elphie, everyone is going to love you now!'

Fiyero was stifling his laughter. '"Elphie"?'

'Call me that once and you can forget about _ever _having children – with me or any other woman,' she hissed at him and he backed off a little. He wasn't completely sure if she was being serious or not; what he was sure about, though, was that this must be how she presented herself to the outside world. The sarcastic, sharp-tongued and slightly intimidating girl he had only caught a glimpse of before. He wondered how there could be two so different sides to one person, but he decided he liked both of them. He bent over towards her a little. 'You look beautiful. Especially with your hair down – you should do that more often,' he whispered in her ear, his breath tickling her neck and giving her goose bumps. 'Although I must admit, you look even more beautiful when you are just yourself.'

She scowled at him. 'Don't lie to me, Fiyero. Everyone with eyes can see I am anything but beautiful.'

'Is that really what you believe?' he demanded incredulously. He could see that she had green skin, but surely she knew she was beautiful despite – or even because of – that? Hadn't her parents ever told her that? Or _anyone _ else?

'It's what everyone has ever given me reason to believe,' she said simply. 'Especially my father.' She blurted it out before she could help herself and immediately clasped her hands over her mouth in horror, not believing she had actually said that, but the damage was already done. Galinda gasped and Fiyero stared at her. 'What…'

She shook her head violently. 'I don't want to talk about it.' She fixed her gaze on her notes, not looking up again and ignoring both Galinda's and Fiyero's pleads and questions. She only looked up when someone said in a concerned tone of voice, 'Fabala!'

'Hi, Nessa,' she responded warmly when she saw her sister wheeling up in front of her. Nessarose was looking at her with wide eyes. 'What happened to your head?'

Elphaba gingerly touched the stitches. 'It's nothing, Nessa, don't worry. I've had it checked out and stitched up – I'll be fine.'

Nessa merely lifted one eyebrow at her older sister until the green girl sighed. 'I wasn't paying attention, and I tripped. That's all.' She could almost feel Fiyero's gaze burning a hole in the side of her head and she knew he was wondering frantically why she would lie about this, but to his credit, he didn't say anything. Nessa merely nodded, satisfied with the answer. 'Well, be careful in the future, Fabala,' she warned her sister. 'Father will not like it when you get yourself injured.'

'I know,' Elphaba said softly, knowing her father would probably pull her out of Shiz if she proved herself, in his eyes, unable to care for Nessa. 'It won't happen again.'

Nessa nodded and wheeled herself to the back of the classroom, where her friends were sitting. Elphaba returned to her notes. She found herself incapable, however, to ignore the pointed stares directed at her from both her sides, and so after a few moments she demanded in an annoyed tone of voice, '_What?_'

'What was that all about?' Galinda asked in an even higher-pitched voice than usual. 'You told me Avaric had done that!'

'He has,' Elphaba replied as patiently as she could muster. 'But Nessa is my little sister. I don't want her to worry about me. Besides, she'll probably think I provoked him, anyway,' she muttered under her breath, more to herself than to the others, but her friends heard her anyway. They looked about ready to say something, but Elphaba glared at them. '_Different subject_, please.'

Galinda, who had seen the green girl when she got angry, quickly changed the subject. 'Oh Elphie, there's this party at the OzDust next Saturday. Will you come? And can I give you another makeover? Please?'

Elphaba sighed irritably. This subject was hardly any better than the last. 'I'm not really that much of a party animal, Galinda.'

'I know that! But I'd really like you to come!'

'I'll think about it.'

Thankfully, the professor started the lecture then and so Elphaba was spared more questions about her family as well as more conversation about makeovers, for which she was very grateful. Neither Galinda nor Fiyero brought up the subject of her father again the rest of the day and when they left to return to their dorms late that afternoon, it was with relaxed, comfortable conversation. The girls had told Fiyero how they had became friends so suddenly and he merely encouraged it – Galinda seemed nice enough and he figured Elphaba could use another friend, since she didn't really seem to have any besides him.

'And so I made her wear this blouse and skirt, don't you think they look good on her, Fiyero? And I made her wear her hair down, because, well, she's got such beautiful hair and it's a shame really that she always plaits it. And the flower – don't you think it looks…' Galinda suddenly froze in her tracks, right behind Elphaba, who had been smiling at her new friend only seconds ago but was now looking extremely murderous. Fiyero didn't know what was going on or what the girls were so tensed up about and he waved one hand in front of their faces. 'Hey. What's going on?'

'Look who's there,' a new voice said, and Fiyero looked up to find a quite good-looking young man standing in front of them – not by far as good-looking as the Prince himself was, of course, but he seemed handsome enough. That was only proven by the fact that there was a very pretty blonde clinging to his arm, giggling. Fiyero wondered who this guy was – a fellow classmate of them, perhaps? He hadn't had the chance to get to know every one of them today, so it was possible.

'Miss Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands,' the boy continued, and Galinda nodded stiffly. The boys eyes darted towards Fiyero. 'Prince Fiyero Tiggular of the Vinkus.'

Fiyero smiled amicably at his fellow student. 'That's me. Nice to meet you.' He still had no clue at all what was going on with the girls, but found them quite rude and he decided at least _he _would be civil to this new guy.

The boy's smile broadened, but it wasn't a friendly smile. 'Nice to meet you, too, Fiyero. I was just wondering… what is a fellow like _you _doing with the Artichoke?'

Fiyero blanched at the nickname, but Elphaba didn't flinch a bit. 'And you, Miss Galinda,' the student continued, fixing his gaze on the blonde. 'I had expected you to associate with much more… sophisticated people.'

'She is more sophisticated than you will ever be, you creep,' Galinda sneered. 'Now get out of our way!'

The boy looked at Elphaba. 'Why don't you go and jump off a cliff?' he suggested and Fiyero started to get angry, but Elphaba seemed to be perfectly capable of handling this guy.

'And deny you the pleasure of my company?' the green girl asked sarcastically. 'I wouldn't dare.'

'Vegetables aren't supposed to be in university, and certainly not among the _decent _people.'

'Neither are slimy cockroaches, and yet here you are.'

He smirked slightly. 'Fiery, huh? I like that. I'd want to do you, but I don't do sex with Brussel sprouts. I bet you'd want me to, though, don't you?'

Elphaba snorted. 'I'd much rather have sex with a pig. Oh, wait,' she pretended to think about that for a moment, 'there wouldn't be much difference, now would there? Although I'm sure any pig is much more civilised than you could ever be.'

'He would never actually have sex with _you_,' the blonde girl on his arm declared. 'I'm the only one for him, right, love?'

Galinda rolled her eyes. 'Yeah, right, Ajelica. Just like he's the only one for you, I'm sure?'

The girl stuck her chin up in the air. 'Yes. He is the only one for me, and has been ever since we got together a month ago.'

'Aha,' Galinda said, smirking. 'So _that's _why you were French kissing Lorou Liresabe in the hallway yesterday?'

Ajelica's face flushed. 'You promised not to tell anyone!' she screeched. Galinda blinked at her innocently. 'Did I? Oh my, I'm so sorry!'

The girl burst into tears and the boy pushed her away in disgust. 'Ew. I don't want a slutty girlfriend. Go find yourself another victim, Ajelica.'

'If it's any help,' Galinda called after the other girl, 'your amazing boyfriend is a slut, too. Pfannee told me she's been sleeping with him for over a week now!'

Ajelica only cried harder as she ran away. Elphaba bent over towards Galinda and mumbled in her ear, 'I'm not sure men can be called sluts, Galinda.'

Galinda tossed her blonde curls over her shoulder. 'Who cares? It's what he is.'

The boy opposite them sighed. 'So you succeeded in breaking up me and Ajelica. Congratulations, Miss Galinda. For what purpose was that? Did you want to be my girlfriend yourself?'

Galinda flushed at the mere thought of it. 'Ew! Never!'

The boy smirked and looked at Fiyero, who had been watching the whole scene in awe. 'So, princey, tell me. What's it like to bang a green bean?'

Elphaba choked and Fiyero took an angry step forwards. 'Who are you, anyway?' he demanded. 'Why don't you just leave us alone?'

'I won't leave you alone until _that_,' he nodded towards Elphaba, 'disappears from campus forever. The mere sight of that artichoke makes me sick to my stomach.'

'That feeling is mutual,' Elphaba snorted. The boy looked at her contemptuously, nodding at the stitches in her forehead. 'See they closed you up. Bummer. Would have liked to see if you bled green, too. Or do you bleed vegetable juice?'

She bristled, just as it started to dawn on Fiyero just who this guy must be – why else would he talk about her injuries that way? Just then, Elphaba suggested sweetly, confirming his suspicion, 'Why don't you go blow your brains out, Avaric? It's not like you've got anything to lose.'

_Avaric_. Fiyero immediately flushed with anger and wanted to step forward, but Galinda's hand on his arm stopped him and she shook her head at him. 'She won't want you to interfere. It'll give her the idea you're protecting her and she hates that. His friends aren't around now – she can take him.'

'How would you know?' Fiyero demanded, still angry. 'You've been her friend for, what, a day?'

Galinda looked a bit offended. 'Yes, but I have _eyes_, Fiyero. And I've been around here longer than you. I've seen them fight before. Just watch – it's actually quite funny.'

He doubted that, but stepped back nonetheless.

Avaric looked at the green girl icily. 'I know you have to be _someone,_ but why did you have to be _you_?' He seemed really proud of himself for coming up with that insult and Elphaba merely stared at him. 'Are you always this stupid, or are you making a special effort today?'

He turned red. 'Stupid Artichoke!'

'I'd return the insult, but you probably wouldn't understand it if I did.'

His face grew purple now as he visibly tried to come up with a good insult, but it took him quite some time. Elphaba smirked at him. 'Don't get lost in thought. You'd be a total stranger there.'

Avaric stamped his foot. 'Why don't you just go and join your mother in the grave!'

Both Fiyero and Galinda gasped at that and Elphaba fell silent. He had struck the one string he knew would affect her. She didn't know how he knew about her mother, but it didn't really surprise her that he did. She wanted to lash out, to use her magic and rip him to pieces, to attack him and send _him _to his grave. Instead, there was just silence. Utter, complete silence, for what seemed to be minutes, even though it couldn't have been longer than a few clock-ticks.

Even Avaric himself seemed to realise he had gone too far, but he didn't soften a bit. Elphaba drew a deep breath to compose herself. He had stooped extremely low, but she was determined to be the sensible one this time. Only she wasn't sure how, especially since her magic was already reacting to her emotions and green sparks were flying off her hands.

Thank goodness Galinda, being the amazing friend that she was, saved her by stepping forward and saying in her high-pitched voice, 'Why don't you just go and put a condom on your head? If you're going to act like a dick, you might as well dress like one.' It was an insult she had heard Elphaba use once and she had found it incredibly amusing, even though she would have _never _admitted that back then.

Avaric stared at her in disbelief and so did Fiyero; but Elphaba took one look at her friend before starting to snort with laughter. She couldn't _believe _the blonde had actually said such a thing – it seemed so un-Galinda-like, her being the lady that she was, but Elphaba was incredibly grateful to her.

Avaric, however, only seemed to be pissed off even more and he lashed out at the green girl, trying to hit her in the face with his fist. From the corners of her eyes, she noticed Fiyero leaping forward to protect her, but she herself was faster; she avoided him, causing him to stumble forwards, and she grasped his arm and twisted it to his back, making him whimper like a little kid. 'Now,' she said in a deceivingly amiable voice, 'I suggest you go back to your friends now and leave me be, all right? Unless you prefer a broken arm, of course.'

'You wouldn't!' he grunted. 'You'd be expelled!'

She pursed her lips. 'Well, accidents happen, don't they?' She looked at him. 'Or perhaps I should just push you off a train platform. And believe me when I say that _I _will make sure it will be _right _in front of a riding train.' The threat in her voice was clear and even Fiyero couldn't be sure if she actually meant it or not. He hadn't pictured Elphaba as the murdering type, but after what this bastard had done to her, he couldn't blame her.

Avaric was very pale now and she twisted his arm even further, causing him to cry out. A few fellow students had gathered around the small group and were giggling and pointing at them now. Avaric was a popular guy, but he was also a bully and a womanizer and very few students actually liked him and his big mouth. They enjoyed seeing him set back for once.

She released him and he ran off. Galinda and Fiyero stared after him for a moment before returning their attention to Elphaba, only to find the green girl had disappeared.

* * *

It took them some time to find her. She wasn't back in hers and Galinda's room and she wasn't in the library, either; eventually, Fiyero noticed a flash of green in an empty classroom. 'Galinda!' he called, and the blonde ran towards him. They pushed open the door, but froze when they saw their friend. Elphaba was taking out her anger on innocent chairs and tables, magically lifting them up and throwing them around the room, meanwhile yelling curses at the top of her voice. When a chair bounced to a wall dangerously close to Galinda's head, the blonde shrieked and hid behind Fiyero.

Elphaba looked up at the sound, bewildered. She hadn't expected anyone to come in and the chairs hung in the air for a moment before dropping to the floor with a clattering sound. She looked a bit sheepish. 'Sorry.'

'Sweet Oz, Elphie!' Galinda screeched. 'You scared the living daylights out of me!'

'I said I was sorry.'

'How did you do that, anyway?' the blonde demanded. Elphaba shrugged. 'I was angry. I needed to take it out on _something_. Furniture seemed the safest option – safer than people, anyway.'

'Well, _I _for one wouldn't have minded if you had taken your anger out on Avaric,' Fiyero grumbled. 'He is such a…'

Galinda clasped her hand over his mouth just in time. 'Don't say foul words. You'll regret it later.'

'I doubt that,' he snorted, but he didn't say anything after that. Instead, he looked at Elphaba, who was wearing a rather strange expression on her face. 'Elphaba? Are you all right?'

She snapped out of it and turned to face him. 'Of course,' she said a bit gruffly. 'I can take care of myself, you know.' She strolled past him, out of the classroom, and Galinda gave him a meaningful look. 'I'll talk to her,' she whispered to Fiyero, patting his shoulder. 'I think she needs some girl talk.'

That's how they left him by himself, slightly offended and utterly confused.

Women. Would he ever understand them?


	4. Run

**AN: Thank you for all the lovely reviews!**

**I know, Avaric's a real ***, right? ;-) He won't be present in this chapter, though. What will be in there? Developing Gelphie friendship, talks in trees and quite a bit of running. Hence the title of the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wicked.**

* * *

_Run just as fast as I can_

_To the middle of nowhere_

_To the middle of my frustrated fears_

* * *

'So why did you walk away from him again?'

Galinda was lying diagonally stretched out on her back, feet dangling down from one side of the bed, head from the other side, so that she was looking at her roommate upside down. Her blonde curls nearly brushed the floor and Elphaba huffed. 'You're going to get floor dirt in your hair.'

Galinda wiggled her finger at her. 'Don't try and change the subject.'

The green girl sighed and gave up, putting her book away. 'It's just… I don't know. He saw a side of me that I have never shown to anyone – anyone at all. I guess I just don't want him to like me because he feels sorry for me or something.'

'He doesn't.'

'How do you know?'

'Because.' Galinda sat up, her face a little red because she had been upside down for a few minutes. 'He just doesn't. Boys in general don't do that. They're far too insensitive. If he didn't like you, he wouldn't be friends with you.'

Elphaba sighed again. 'I just don't like it that he even _knows _that side of me. I never meant for anyone to even see me like that – so vulnerable, so hysterical, so… _weak_.'

'You're not weak, Elphie. It was only natural to cry after being nearly ran over by a train.'

'It _was _weak of me,' Elphaba replied stubbornly. 'And I don't intend for something like that to happen ever again. But when I'm with him… I get the feeling that he is seeing right through me, and that scares the hell out of me. As if I'm standing before him completely naked.'

Galinda giggled. 'I bet he'd like that.'

Elphaba tossed a pillow in the direction of her roommate, but she was laughing nonetheless. 'Why did I ever think I could have a serious conversation with you?'

'You can!' Galinda protested, still giggling. 'I'm just trying to lighten the mood.' She plopped down onto her stomach, legs swinging in the air, resting her chin in her hands. 'Is that also the reason why you refuse to tell us anything about your family?'

Elphaba's face darkened. 'I don't want to talk about that, Galinda.'

'My point exactly.' The blonde quirked an eyebrow at her, giving her meaningful looks until the green girl gave up. 'Fine, I'll tell you. But you must promise not to tell Fiyero.'

Galinda nodded fervently. 'Promise!' She scooped closer to the edge of the bed and looked at her roommate expectantly.

Elphaba sighed and took her mother's glass bottle from under her pillow, twisting it round and round in her hands. 'My father hates me.'

Galinda gasped. 'How could a father hate his own daughter?'

The green girl shook her head. 'I don't even think he sees me as his daughter. You see… It's my fault. That Nessa is the way she is – that she can't walk… And that my mother died.'

'How could that be your fault?' Galinda asked incredulously. Elphaba avoided the blonde's gaze and kept it fixed on the green glass bottle instead. 'When my mother was pregnant with Nessa… they were worried the baby would come out green. Like me.' She sighed. 'My father made my mother chew milk flowers to prevent that from happening, only they made Nessa come too early, with her little legs all tangled… And my mother never woke up.'

'But Elphie…' Galinda said, looking at her with her baby blue eyes even larger than usual. 'That was the milk flowers' fault, not yours!'

Elphaba smiled sadly. 'That's not how he sees it.'

Galinda observed her friend quietly and narrowed her eyes. 'Or you.'

'What?'

'You believe it too, don't you? That it was your fault. Elphie, that's not true! As if you could help that you were born this way!'

Elphaba placed the bottle back under her pillow and shut off the light. 'I'm going to sleep.'

'No you're not!' Galinda protested. 'We're having a conversation here!'

'I said I'd tell you about my father. I did. Now I want to go to sleep.' Elphaba squeezed her eyes shut and pretended to be asleep already. For a moment, she thought Galinda bought it, but then the bed slumped a little and she felt Galinda's arms around her in a fierce hug. 'I'm sorry, Elphie,' she whispered. 'I didn't mean to push you. I'm glad you told me.' She paused for a moment. 'I'm really glad we're friends.'

Elphaba was silent for a while before admitting softly, 'Me, too.'

Galinda gently squeezed her in reply before getting up and returning to her own bed.

* * *

Elphaba and Galinda grew even closer in the next few days, and she couldn't believe how nice it was to have a friend. She could talk to the blonde about everything, and the blonde talked about everything with her. They would give each other advice or comfort when needed. One time, when Galinda had been crying because a fellow classmate of hers had said mean things about her behind her back, Elphaba even went over to the boy's dorm to have a nice, firm, threatening talk with him, for which her roommate had been extremely grateful.

Fiyero tried to talk to her when he got the chance, but somehow, she always managed to avoid him. When he got to class, she would already be there, usually with Galinda on her one side and a wall – or another student – on the other, so that he couldn't sit next to her. He didn't really want to talk to her in front of everybody, but the one time he had tried anyway, she had pretended to be in a serious conversation with Galinda and he had given up and went over to an empty seat in the back row, head down. He would try and talk to her _after _class, but she always made sure she was one of the first students to leave and so he missed her every time. She wouldn't have lunch with them – she never did, Galinda told him; the blonde had invited her, now that they were friends, but Elphaba preferred to eat alone, probably because everyone was still staring at her. Even more so than usual, actually, now that she was hanging out with Galinda and Fiyero.

'Well then, if she likes to have lunch alone, where does she go?' Fiyero asked impatiently. Galinda shrugged. 'How should I know? It's not like she'd tell me. I believe it differs every time – before we were friends, I caught her in a toilet booth with her lunch. But I know she sometimes goes to the library, too. Or outside, when the weather's nice. Or she goes back to our dorm…'

'Yes, I get it,' Fiyero interrupted a bit irritably. 'She could be anywhere.'

He spent the entire lunch break looking for her, to no avail, and somehow, she managed to avoid him outside classes as well. He wondered how she did it. It was not like she blended in with the other students easily – green skin didn't really go unnoticed, even now the students had sort of gotten used to it. Yet no one had seen her, and he grew a little desperate. Why was she avoiding him? Had he done something wrong? Had he been too bold when he had kissed her? Did she even _want _to be kissed by him? Or was she just trying to think of a decent way to tell him she did not feel the same way about him that he did about her?

Or was it something entirely different?

He had no clue. He didn't know her that well, after all, as she had made clear to him – and she had been right. He had saved her from that train and he had immediately fallen in love with her – he wasn't sure why, especially since it had never happened to him before. There had just been something about her. It wasn't just the beauty only he seemed to be able to see – the large, dark brown eyes, the emerald skin, the long raven hair… It had been something else. He had immediately seen that she was a strong person having a rare breakdown, and it had touched him how she had let down her guard so easily with him – even though she had told him that had only been because she thought she would never see him again and so it didn't matter. Which, to be completely honest, stung him a little. But he knew her well enough by now to know that she would never voluntarily let her guard down with anyone – especially not with someone she barely even knew. He would have to work to earn her trust.

Only to do that, he needed to find her first.

She managed to avoid him for almost an entire week, but on the sixth day, when he went looking for her in lunch break again, he found her. Entirely accidentally; he was just walking through the university park and he happened to look up, and that's when he discovered a slim green leg in the tree next to him. He stood still and squinted until he could make out the rest of her – she was sitting on a thick tree branch, one leg dangling down, with her lunch in her lap and a book in her hands.

He climbed the tree until he was sitting on an equally thick branch opposite her. She looked up from her book and sighed. 'Darn. You found me.'

'You didn't make it too easy for me,' he grumbled. 'I've been trying to talk to you all week!'

She flipped the page of her book. 'I know.'

Now he looked hurt. 'So you did avoid me on purpose?'

She looked at him as if he were stupid – which, he had to admit, he probably was. 'Did you think otherwise?'

'No, I suppose not,' he muttered. 'But my ego felt slightly less hurt when I convinced myself that it was just coincidental.'

She smirked. 'Oh, your poor ego.'

'Where have you been?'

'Everywhere,' she replied, still focused on her book, but occasionally peering over her glasses to look at him. 'Ladies' room – I knew you wouldn't find me there, since you aren't even allowed in there, but it was kind of gross to eat my lunch in a toilet booth. Plus I thought you'd figure me out sooner or later and you would wait for me _outside _the ladies' room. So after two days I went for an empty classroom, the library…'

'I've been to the library,' he interrupted. 'You weren't there.'

She looked at him with raised eyebrows. 'Did you even know where it was?'

He felt a little offended, but she was right, after all – he had never spent much time in libraries. 'I do now.'

She chuckled softly and flicked another page. 'So you've been looking for me in the library?'

'Yes. Like I said, you weren't there.'

'Did you check the storage room?'

He stared at her incredulously and she smirked at him again before directing her attention back to the book she was reading – which was pretty annoying, given the fact that he was trying to have a conversation with her. 'And then you found this tree?'

'I like trees,' came her simple reply. 'No one notices me up here. I kind of blend in with the leaves, you see? In spring and summer, that is. Soon fall will kick in and I'll have to find myself a new hiding spot – because no, just in case you were wondering, I don't change colour along with the seasons.'

'I wasn't thinking that.'

'Just making sure.' She flipped another page and he looked at her. 'So why?'

'Why what?'

'Why were you avoiding me?'

Her face darkened a little. 'Just. Because,' she said. He quirked an eyebrow at her. 'That's not an answer.'

She didn't say anything and he pressed on. 'Did I say or do something wrong? Because if I did, I'm sorry.'

She sighed. 'No, it wasn't you,' she said, leaving him utterly confused.

'If it wasn't me, then why was I the one you were avoiding?'

'Because…' She sighed again. 'Because I…'

'Elphie and Fiyero, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!' they suddenly heard someone sing, and Fiyero nearly fell out of the tree. 'Galinda!'

The blonde smirked at him. 'Hi, Fiyero. Elphie. Didn't want to disturb you lovebirds, but it's almost time for your class and I know how much you hate to be late. Well, Elphie hates it, anyway.'

Elphaba nodded and collected her things, jumping down and squeezing Galinda's shoulder as she passed her friend. 'Thanks, Lin.' She rushed towards the buildings and Fiyero gave Galinda a thundercloud look. She didn't seem to notice. 'So, did you and Elphie work things out? Talk to each other?'

'We were _trying_,' he grumbled, staring daggers at her, 'and I almost had her actually tell me what the problem was, when _someone _interrupted us with a stupid little song.'

Galinda looked guilty. 'I'm sorry!' she exclaimed. 'I didn't mean to interrupt anything! Although I should have known you hadn't gotten to the point yet. It usually takes Elphie a while to open up.'

Fiyero sighed, disappointed. 'And now I'm going to have to start all over again.'

* * *

She managed to avoid him again when he finally got to class – she was in a front seat with Boq on her one side and Nessarose in her wheelchair on the other. Fiyero sighed irritably and took the free seat closest to her – which was still three rows behind her. He heard Boq and Nessa invite her over for lunch the next day and quite frankly, he was jealous when he heard her reluctantly accept. She didn't want to have lunch with _him _– even worse, she was avoiding him at all costs – but she immediately accepted when her sister and Boq asked her to come with them?

'You should bring Galinda and Fiyero, too,' Nessa suddenly said, turning slightly in her chair to smile at Fiyero. 'Would you like that, Fiyero?'

'I'd love to,' he immediately consented, despite the warning glare Elphaba gave him. Nessa turned back to her sister, still smiling. 'So that's settled, then. Tomorrow at the White Rose café, one o'clock. Make sure you tell Galinda!'

She did tell Galinda – if only because she feared having lunch with just Nessa, Boq and Fiyero would be incredibly awkward. The bubbly blonde was immediately enthusiastic about the idea and so the next afternoon, the two roommates entered the White Rose café together.

Nessa and Boq were already there and the girl smiled at her sister, waving. 'Fabala! Over here!'

The two girls sat with them. 'What do you want to eat, Nessie?' Elphaba asked as Nessa put down her menu.

'I'm not all that hungry. I think I'll just go with a blueberry muffin and some tea.'

Elphaba nodded and looked at Boq and Galinda. 'Can I bring you something?'

Boq nodded. 'A club sandwich and coffee, please.'

'I'll come with you,' Galinda said, jumping from her seat. The two girls went over to get the food. When they returned, Fiyero had arrived, too, and was talking to Boq and Nessa. He looked up and smiled when he saw them come over. 'Hey, Elphaba. Lin.'

Galinda scowled at him. 'Only Elphie is allowed to call me Lin.'

'Just as only Lin is allowed to call me Elphie,' Elphaba added, making the others laugh. 'No, I'm serious. Call me that once and you're going to miss a limb.'

'Elphaba!' Nessa said, chiding, and Elphaba smiled at her younger sister. 'I'm only joking, Nessa.'

'Fiyero, we got you the cheese and mushroom omelette,' Galinda announced. 'We weren't sure what you liked, so…'

'The omelette is fine, thank you, Galinda,' Fiyero said, and everyone sat down to eat in silence for a while. Galinda nudged Elphaba. 'Will you let me give you a makeover again tomorrow?'

'What is that with you and makeovers?' the green girl asked. Galinda shrugged. 'I love giving them. And you desperately need one. I thought I told you not to braid your hair anymore – and why are you wearing your glasses again? Didn't you remember _anything _I told you last time?'

'Toss, toss,' Elphaba replied sarcastically, tossing her braid over her shoulder, and Galinda burst out in giggles. 'Good girl!'

After a while, Galinda, Fiyero, and Boq got up to get everyone some more drinks and Nessa looked at her sister. 'I'm really glad you found yourself some friends, Fabala,' she said solemnly. 'They seem really nice.'

'They are,' Elphaba conceded, smiling at her younger sister. 'And I'm glad to have them, too.'

'But Fabala…' Nessa paused for a clock-tick. 'You and Fiyero… Are you just friends?'

'Yes,' Elphaba replied immediately. She wasn't really sure what the truthful answer to that question was, but she didn't want to tell Nessa that. 'He… helped me, you know, when I tripped and hit my head…' Nessa nodded understandingly. 'And he's nice. That's all. Just friends.'

Nessa smiled warmly. 'Good.'

Fiyero, however, had heard the conversation and was feeling a lot less happy. He went back to Galinda and Boq and ran his fingers through his hair, moaning, 'It's official. I've just been friendzoned.'

'You've just been _what_?' Boq asked, confused. Fiyero sighed. 'Oh, it's a word me and my friends back at the Vinkan Kro University made up. It means the girl you like told you she just wants to be friends.'

Galinda's eyes went wide. 'She told you that?'

'Not in my face,' Fiyero confessed. 'But I overheard her saying it to Nessa.'

Galinda immediately stalked off to their table, taking Elphaba's arm. 'Excuse me, could I talk to you for a second?'

'Wha-' Elphaba began, but before she knew it, Galinda had dragged her off to a corner and started shout-whispering to her. 'What do you mean, you want to be just friends with Fiyero?'

Elphaba looked at her friend in confusion. 'What?'

'He heard you say that to Nessa. That you just want to be friends with him!'

Elphaba got angry. Who did he think he was, eavesdropping on a conversation she had with her sister?! 'Well, maybe I do!' she snapped, yanking back her arm and walking back to Nessa, but freezing in her tracks when she saw what was going on there. Boq was sitting at the table again, staring at the girl in the wheelchair with a dreamy smile on his face. 'Hey, Nessa,' he said, and the younger girl looked at him. 'Yes?'

'Would you like to…' He swallowed. 'Uhm… Go out with me, sometimes?'

Nessa's eyes went wide and Elphaba couldn't help but smile. She knew how much her sister secretly admired the Munchkin boy, and she was happy for her. This must be a dream coming true for Nessa.

'Yes!' Nessa blurted out right that moment, trying to remain her composure, but failing – she giggled with giddy happiness. 'Yes, I'd love to!'

Boq's eyes brightened and he took her hand. 'Next Friday, then. Dinner. I'll pick you up at seven?'

Nessa nodded, beaming, and he tentatively bent forward to kiss her cheek, which made her blush furiously. 'I'm sorry, I have to go now or I'll be late for class, but… I'm really looking forward to it.'

'Me, too,' Nessa said, still giggling. 'Bye, Boq.' She turned to her sister, eyes gleaming, cheeks rosy. 'Did you hear that? He asked me on a date!'

Elphaba smiled at her sister. 'I heard. Congratulotions, Nessie. You deserve each other.'

'We do, don't we?' the girl beamed. Elphaba took her bag. 'I'm sorry, Nessa, but I'm going to have to go now, too. I'm in the same class as Boq is and I don't want to be late.'

'Of course, Fabala,' her little sister said. 'I really had a nice time. Your friends are nice.'

Elphaba gave her one more smile before disappearing, rushing out of the café and back to class. She knew Galinda and Fiyero would probably be mad at her for leaving without even telling them, but she felt a bit suffocated. She needed space.

After class, she went to the park and sought out a nice, high tree to climb. She climbed up high, until she was sure no one would be able to see her from below; then she made herself comfortable and analysed her thoughts, trying to sort them out.

All right, so perhaps she was a little jealous of Boq and Nessa. She was genuinely happy for her little sister – she thought Nessa deserved the world – but she couldn't help but envy her just the tiniest bit. Nessa knew what she wanted and she got it. Elphaba… Well, she had no clue what it was exactly that she wanted, and even if she did know, she probably would never get it.

And then there was Fiyero. Did she just want to be friends or was there more? She didn't know. She had never been in love before – she had never had friends before either, for that matter, and so she had difficulties telling the two apart. Was what she felt for Fiyero pure friendship? Did she love him? Could she ever love him? Was he serious about liking her? Wanting her? About telling her he thought she was… dare she say it… beautiful?

There was a rustle of leaves beneath her and a moment later, Fiyero's head, face red with the effort of climbing, appeared. 'I knew I'd find you here.'

She scowled at him. 'How?'

He waved her glasses. 'You lost these while climbing up. I found them underneath this tree. That made your location quite clear, even to brainless me.'

She sighed irritably. 'Go away.'

'No.'

She narrowed her eyes at him. 'I beg your pardon?'

'I said no,' he repeated. 'Not until you tell me how you feel about me.'

She felt confused, and angry, and she felt cornered. It frightened her. And so she did what she always did when she was frightened: she took her things and started to climb down the tree.

He caught her wrist. 'Don't do this again. Talk to me. Please?'

She pulled her wrist free with an angry gesture. 'No, I don't want to be just friends.'

His face lit up for a moment, but then she spat out, 'I want you to leave me alone!'

Then she left, fighting back tears, leaving him confused, sad, and heart-broken.

* * *

**Aww! Poor Fiyero! Reviews will heal his heart! (Well, indirectly, anyway, because they make me write faster and then he and Elphaba will make up sooner ^^.)**


	5. Rescuing Roommates

**AN: Well hello again! Thank you once more for the wonderful reviews. (No, I'm never going to stop saying that, because even though it might sound a little... I don't know... I do mean it. I really appreciate those reviews.)**

**So, Galinda coming to the rescue :). Well, yeah, she's quite the busybody, isn't she? More best friend talks and a little fluff to top it off. Yay :D.**

**Disclaimer: Nope.**

* * *

He didn't speak to her again after that.

She wasn't sure whether that was because she had told him to leave her alone and he was simply respecting her wish, or because she had scared him away forever. Whichever one it was, she regretted what she had said to him. She knew she couldn't keep on pulling people close and then pushing them away again, but she was scared. Every time someone got too close, she got scared. And then something like this would happen.

She wanted to tell him that she was sorry, that she _did _want to be friends – she still wasn't sure about the more-than-friends-part, but it seemed that she wouldn't have to worry about that anymore after all. She went up to talk to him a couple of times, but every time, something was holding her back. There were either too many people around, or she needed to be somewhere, or she just didn't have the courage. She was annoying herself with her own behaviour, but her pride as well as her insecurity stood in the way.

He didn't exactly help matters, either. Every class, he sat in the back with a bunch of girls surrounding him, fluttering their eyelashes at him, flirting with him, telling him how wonderful he was, admiring his muscles. They had been doing that before, to a certain degree, but he used to ignore them; now, he was encouraging them, playing the card of his dancing-through-life-philosophy, hiding himself beneath the mask of the carefree, brainless handsome Winkie Prince. It only reinforced her original idea of him hating her now and after seeing him like that, she didn't even think about talking to him anymore. It was hopeless, anyway. She had had her shot and she blew it. It was as simple as that.

'Elphie, what _happened _between you and Fiyero?' Galinda demanded one day. 'First, you two are so close; then you start avoiding him; then you talk to him again; and now _he _seems to be avoiding _you_. What did you two talk about?'

Elphaba sighed. 'Nothing, Lin. Forget it.'

'No, I'm not going to 'forget it'!' Galinda squealed. She stamped her foot like a five-year-old. 'I just can't _stand _this! Why are you being all difficult when you are clearly so in _love _with one another?!'

Elphaba's head jerked up. 'I never said I was in love with him!'

A pointed look from her roommate. 'You didn't have to. Neither did he. Any brainless idiot can see that – well, except for the two of _you_, obviously.' The blonde sighed and crawled on Elphaba's bed. 'Look, Elphie, I know you said you weren't sure how you feel about him, and I now know too that it is very hard for you to let people in and to believe they actually care about you… but some people do. I do. He does. Why don't you just accept that?'

'How can I?' Elphaba asked softly, looking up in the blue eyes of her friend. 'You're right – it _is _hard for me to believe that people actually care about me, because… well, they never have. And I see why. I mean, look at me – I'm _green_, and ugly, and bad-tempered, and repulsive, and a _freak_…'

'I can't really argue with the 'green' part,' Galinda said, making Elphaba smile faintly. 'But you're not a freak, Elphie. You're wonderful. You're pretty and nice and loving and smart and passionate and amazing and you're a wonderful friend. Really. You're not repulsive – who in Oz gave you that idea? You're just… _different_. But who cares about that? Everyone is different. You are just a little more… _obviously_ different. But that doesn't change who you are, deep down inside, neither does it make you ugly. And bad-tempered… well… I guess we can fix that.' Elphaba chuckled and Galinda laughed, too. She took her roommates' hands. 'Please, Elphie, don't ever think that way about yourself again! You're wonderful just the way you are, really! All the other people are just _idiots _for being so shallow that they can't see past the green to really get to know you. And your father is probably the biggest, stupidest idiot of them all – no offense.' She took a deep breath and fanned her face with her hand. 'That must be the longest speech I've ever given that wasn't about clothes or parties.'

Elphaba giggled – a rare sound, but a genuinely happy one. 'Thank you, Galinda,' the green girl said sincerely, hugging her friend. Galinda returned the hug with a bone-crushing squeeze. 'You're so very welcome, Elphie. It's the truth, too. I would never lie to you.'

'I know,' Elphaba said. 'It's _really _good to have a friend.'

Galinda beamed. 'It is, isn't it? Now let's get you back to having _two _friends. What is the problem with Fiyero?'

Elphaba's face fell and she sighed. 'I blew it,' she said softly. 'That's all.'

'What _happened_, Elphie?'

'He wanted to know how I truly felt about him…'

'Which you don't even know yourself.'

'Exactly. That's why I didn't really know what to say. But he kept pushing me, and I felt cornered by him… I tried to leave, but he stopped me and asked again, and I sort of… snapped. I said something really stupid, not because I meant it, not at all, but just because I kind of panicked, I guess.' She sighed and Galinda eyed her warily. 'What did you say?'

'I might have told him… that I wanted him to leave me alone,' Elphaba confessed, and Galinda looked at her in sympathy. 'Oh, Elphie, I'm sure he understood that you were just feeling pressured! He's probably just trying to give you some space right now, but…'

Elphaba, however, was shaking her head frantically. 'Haven't you seen him, Lin?' she asked, almost in tears – something that Galinda had never seen before and that scared her a little. Elphie was always the strong one, the one that made sarcastic comments about everything, the know-it-all that always gave the right answer in class, but Galinda had never seen her so emotional before. _She must really care about Fiyero_, she realised.

'He already forgot about me,' Elphaba whispered. 'He's having fun with all these girls drooling over him – he hasn't even so much as looked at me since our talk. He's been going out to all these parties, and I've heard he has been drunk every time… He's having fun. He has probably finally realised that he is much better off without being involved with me – in _any _way – so that now he can enjoy the company of all those other girls, girls who aren't green and who love to go to parties and who do _not _pull away when he tries to kiss them and who will probably never even _think _about rejecting him and telling him to leave them alone!' By that time, she was actually crying – silently, but still. Galinda gave her friend another comforting hug. 'Oh, Elphie… He's just being an idiot right now! It's probably not the first time – his reputation has to come from _somewhere_, after all – but really, he'll come around, I promise!'

Elphaba shook her head, sniffing slightly. 'I'm not so sure, Lin,' she said in a thick voice. 'I drove him away. I can't even blame him for not trying anymore – every time he tries to approach me, I push him away, and I can't expect him to come back now that I _do _want him to!'

'Oh, Elphie, it's not your fault! Really, it's not!' Galinda tried to convince her, hugging her friend once again. 'He knows enough about you to know that you don't let people in that easily, and he shouldn't have pushed you. He should have thought about _you_, instead of just about himself. Do you want me to go and talk to him?'

Elphaba shook her head violently against Galinda's shoulder. 'No, Lin, please don't! He'll just think I'm some pathetic coward that uses her friend to fix her own stupid mistakes…'

'We really should get working on hammering some self-esteem in that stubborn head of yours,' Galinda muttered, stroking her friend's hair consolingly. Elphaba smiled faintly through her tears at that. 'Try all you might, it won't work.'

'Don't be a pessimist. You told me the same thing about giving you a makeover, and that _did _work. You looked fabulous. And we can make this work, too.' She paused. 'Are you sure you don't want me to talk to Fiyero?'

Elphaba shook her head gingerly. 'Thank you, Lin, but no. I'll just have to accept the fact that I lost him – for as far as I ever had him in the first place.'

'All right,' Galinda said agreeably, but a plan was already manifesting itself in her mind. She would _not _let Elphie give up on love. She was going to hammer Fiyero on his head until he came to his senses.

Or, well, perhaps she would just talk to him.

* * *

The classroom was nearly empty and Fiyero and his five new girlfriends – Pfannee and Shenshen, two of Galinda's friends, among them – were laughing and talking about something, when he suddenly became aware of a very annoying tapping sound next to him, followed by an exaggeratedly patient-sounding 'Ahem'. He looked up and saw Galinda looking down on him, arms folded, tapping her foot, one eyebrow lifted. 'Could I talk to you for a second, Your Highness the Oh So Handsome and Extremely Annoying Prince Fiyero Tiggular the Idiot of the Vinkus?'

'His' girls all gasped in unison, and he looked at the blonde, slightly baffled. Her voice, as well as the look she gave him, was cold, and he cleared his throat awkwardly. 'Um… Girls… Could you give me a moment with Miss Upland, please?'

The girls made disappointed sounds, but slowly trickled out of the classroom until it was just him and Galinda. He looked at her. 'What in Oz…'

'Listen, you stupid brainless fool,' she hissed, the cold gone from her voice and eyes and replaced by a blazing fury that made him recoil against the wall. 'I don't know what you think you're doing, but this has to stop!'

'Wha-'

'Don't give me that! Oz, I can't _believe _you, you know that?'

'Galinda-'

'You _know _her, Fiyero! How could you do this to her?'

It was only then that he was able to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. 'This is about Elphaba?'

An exasperated sigh. 'Of _course _this is about Elphaba, you moron! I thought you _cared _about her!'

'I do-'

'Oh, so that's what you do to the people you care about, then? Break their heart? Crush it? Step on it? Squeeze it until it's dead? Trample it? Strangle it?'

'I get your point, Galinda,' he interrupted. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. 'But listen… I think you misunderstood. She's the one that told me to leave her alone, and so I did. I do care for her, but she doesn't care for me and so I'll just have to accept that, don't I?'

'You really don't get it, do you?' asked Galinda. He gave her a puzzled look and blinked slowly, and she sighed again in exasperation. 'Oz, you're even stupider than I thought you were.'

'I think that's supposed to be 'more stupid'.' He wrinkled his nose. 'Or is it 'stupider'? I'm not sure, actually…'

She glared at him and he wisely decided to shut up. 'Sweet _Oz_, Fiyero… She acts like that because she _loves_ you!'

He blinked again, certain he had misheard her. 'What?'

'You heard me! She loves you, and that's why she pushes you away! She has never loved anyone, and no one has ever loved her, and it scares her to death and then you started pushing her and insisting on her telling you how she felt about you while she hadn't even figured out how she felt about you herself and she panicked and that's why she said those things!' She paused to catch her breath and Fiyero stared at her while a somewhat goofy smile slowly appeared on his face. 'She does love me?'

Galinda threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. 'That's all you picked up out of everything I just said?'

His face immediately became serious again. 'No, of course not… Are you… Are you sure about this?'

She nodded violently, causing her blonde curls to bounce up and down. 'We're best friends and roommates, Fiyero. I _know _her. We've had a few conversations about this so far and I don't know if you've noticed, but it's killing her. She wanted to apologise to you, but then you started hanging out with those,' she made a vague gesture towards the door, indicating the girls that followed Fiyero around, 'those silly _cows_, and she thought you had forgotten about her. She cries herself to sleep every night, I know that, even though she tries her hardest to hide that from me. _Talk _to her, Fiyero. _Please_.'

She didn't have to say that twice. He jumped to his feet, swinging his bag over his shoulder and giving Galinda a quick kiss on the cheek. 'Thank you. You're the best friend _ever _– both to me _and _Elphaba.'

She smiled at that and watched him dash out of the classroom, feeling satisfied and pleased with herself. Her work here was done.

* * *

He found Elphaba walking across campus. It was only now that Galinda had pointed it out to him that he noticed how miserable she looked – he hadn't looked, _really _looked at her for days now, and now he couldn't believe he had overlooked this. She was clutching her bag with both hands, pressing it against her chest as if it was supposed to protect her from something; her head was hanging down and her shoulders were slumped, and her usually energetic walk now seemed more like a shuffle. It pained him. Galinda was right – he _had _been a fool. But he was determined to make it right again.

He ran up to her, but stopped when he saw someone else approaching her from the other side. Anger welled up inside him as he saw that it was Avaric, backed up by a few of his friends. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but the sneers on their faces – and, of course, the fact that it was _Avaric_ – told him that it couldn't be something nice. Avaric stepped closer and said something to her, and Fiyero was certain she would lash out at him as she had before. Instead, he was stunned to find that she merely stiffened and averted her gaze.

Avaric stepped even closer and shoved her. She stumbled, but regained her balance. Avaric took hold of her arm and twisted it roughly behind her back, making her scream out in pain, and that was when Fiyero started running towards them, dumping his bag on the floor in the process. 'Hey!' he shouted. They all looked up in surprise, but Fiyero didn't give them time to recover from it; instead, he lunged forward and hit Avaric full in the face, his fist connecting with the other boy's nose with a satisfying cracking sound. Avaric fell to the ground, whining like a little kid, clutching his face. Fiyero smirked slightly as he saw blood running down from between the boy's fingers.

Avaric's friends looked at Fiyero tentatively. One of them put his hand on Avaric's shoulder, his eyes never leaving Fiyero. 'Come on, man. Let's go get you to the infirmary.'

A few of the boys helped Avaric up and with some wary glances over their shoulders, the small group disappeared around a corner. Fiyero turned back to face Elphaba, who was cradling her arm with a painful expression on her face, but she quickly dropped it – both the arm and the expression – when she caught Fiyero looking at her. He approached her carefully, as if she were a wild animal. 'Are you all right?'

'I'm fine,' she muttered, avoiding his gaze. 'You don't have to feel obliged to save me, or something. You can go back to your girlfriends.'

That stung a little, but now he recognised what she was doing. Despite her words, her voice sounded flat and he could see the pain in her eyes, which gave him the courage to take another step closer to her and stretch out his hand. 'Let me see that arm.'

'I'm _fine_,' she snapped, stepping back, but she couldn't fool him anymore. 'Elphaba…'

'Just leave me alone,' she whispered, turning away from him, hugging herself. 'Please.'

It didn't sound nearly as convincing as it had a few days before and he crossed the distance between them and took her hands, squeezing them softly. 'Elphaba… I'm sorry.'

She looked up at him, eyes full of surprise. 'What? What for?'

'For pushing you. For not giving you the time you needed. For hanging out with those silly girls. For making you feel like you weren't good enough, for making you think I forgot about you… Well, let's just say I'm sorry for being stupid. In general.'

The corners of her lips turned slightly upwards, which he took as a hopeful sign, and he squeezed her hands again. 'Elphaba… I really, really like you,' he had decided that 'I love you' might be a bit too straightforward for her, 'and there's no other girl I want but you, but I don't want to rush you into things you're not ready for. I'll give you all the time you need to sort out your feelings. I won't push you, I promise. I was just hoping… I missed you, Elphaba. I was hoping we could at least be friends again.'

She looked into his eyes, searching for the deception she was sure had to be there, but there was none. He was being sincere. She still had no idea how that was even possible, but somehow, the look in his eyes convinced her that it was. She smiled slightly and shook her head. 'I don't want to be friends.'

His face fell. It felt like his heart shattered to little pieces. She didn't want anything to do with him anymore. It wasn't like he could blame her; he had been a total jerk to her. He had to face it: he'd had his chance with her, and he had messed it up.

But then he caught her eyes and to his confusion, he noticed that there wasn't any anger to be found in them. Instead, there was… he couldn't really name it, but it didn't seem bad. Or did it? Was it just wishful thinking on his part?

'I think I'd like to be… well… more than friends,' she confessed softly, shyly dropping her gaze to stare at her feet. 'I mean… if you want to, that is, and I can perfectly understand it if you don't…'

He never let her finish. Instead, he cupped her face with both his hands and softly pressed his lips against hers. He could tell that he had startled her, for she tensed at first, but then she relaxed and melted into his embrace. When he pulled away, he gingerly stroked her cheek with his thumb. She smiled at him. 'So I'm guessing that you _do _want to?'

He kissed her again. 'There's nothing in the entire world I'd rather want.'

* * *

**Reviews make me happy :).**


	6. First Date

**AN: Update! So with Elphie and Fiyero back together, this chapter guarantees a lot of fluff. I just love Fiyeraba fluff, don't you?**

**Disclaimer: Still not mine. But someday...**

* * *

'Elphie?' Galinda said when the green girl entered the dorm and dropped down on her bed with a dreamy smile on her face. 'What happened? You are positively glowing.' She had an idea of what had happened, of course, but she wanted her roommate to tell her herself.

Elphaba's smile broadened. 'Fiyero and I talked.'

The blonde quirked an eyebrow. 'You talked?'

'All right, perhaps we kind of kissed, too.'

Galinda laughed. 'Kind of?'

'Fine. He kissed me.'

'Yay.' Galinda clapped her hands with delight. 'Did you kiss him back? No, wait, stupid question. The glow says enough.' Elphaba chuckled softly and Galinda came over to the other girl's bed to hug her. 'I'm happy for you, Elphie.'

'Thanks for talking to him.'

The blonde's head shot up. 'What?'

The green girl grinned at her friend. 'Oh, come on, you thought I didn't know?'

'Did he tell you?'

Elphaba shook her head. 'I overheard Pfannee and Shenshen talking to one another. They were feeling offended because you had 'kicked them out of the classroom' and apparently you called Fiyero some very interesting things.'

Galinda blushed. 'I might've. I'm sorry, I know I promised you not to interfere, but…'

'It's all right, Lin,' her friend reassured her. 'I know you are just trying to help, and you _have _helped. I'm just not really used to having a best friend who does those things for me, but... thank you.'

Galinda giggled. 'Well, _get _used to it, then, because I'm not stopping here. When's your first date?'

Elphaba shrugged. 'It's not a 'date', really. We just wanted to go to the White Rose tonight, talk a bit, have a drink…'

'That's definitely a date, Elphie,' Galinda said sternly. Then her voice became pleading and she looked at Elphaba with the cutest pout she could manage. 'Can I makeover you? Pleeeeeease?'

Elphaba laughed. 'All right, all right… just this once. Because you're such an amazing friend.'

Galinda squealed. 'Thank you, Elphie! Come on, we need to get started – hate to say this, but since you have undone practically everything I did to you last time… It's going to be a _lot _of work.'

* * *

Fiyero waited after knocking on the door. He heard some rustling inside, then Galinda opened the door and her eyes widened as she saw him. 'Go away! I'm not finished yet!' she screeched before slamming the door shut in his face.

'Galinda, that was _rude_!' he heard Elphaba exclaim from behind the door and then came Galinda's stern reply, 'He _cannot _see you before I'm done with you! Now stop fumbling with your hair, you're going to mess it up!'

A loud sigh. 'Galinda…'

'Sit still!' Galinda ordered and they didn't talk for a while. Fiyero waited patiently until the door opened again and Galinda looked at him with a radiant smile. 'Ready?'

'I've been ready for ten minutes now,' he reminded her. She scowled at him, but her smile returned soon enough. 'All right. Here she comes. Oh, I'm going to _love _the look on your face!' she squealed, before opening the door fully and revealing Elphaba standing behind it.

Fiyero didn't disappoint the blonde; his eyes went wide as saucers and his jaw dropped quite literally when he saw Elphaba. She looked amazing. She was wearing a dress that fit her perfectly, hugging her forms and widening from her waist down to her knees. It was sleeveless and a silvery gray colour, which somehow matched perfectly with her skin. She was wearing shoes with low heels that matched the colour of the dress and her hair was pinned up in a messy bun, with loose strands framing her face. Galinda had apparently persuaded her to wear make-up, but it wasn't overdone; just the tiniest bit of mascara and eyeliner to make her large brown eyes stand out and a thin layer of shiny gloss on her lips.

He had to remind himself how to speak again, opening and closing his mouth a few times like a fish. Galinda giggled, but Elphaba misinterpreted his silence. 'I know, I look ridiculous,' she complained.

Fiyero shook his head and found his voice again. 'Not at all. You look… _beautiful_.'

She scoffed at him, but he remained serious. 'I mean it. I've never seen anyone more beautiful in my life.'

An 'aw!' escaped from Galinda's lips and Elphaba gave him a shy smile. 'I still don't believe you, but I appreciate the compliment,' she said, accepting Fiyero's arm, and they walked out together. 'Have fun, you two!' Galinda called after them. 'And Elphie, when you get back, I want _details_!'

They walked to the café together in comfortable silence. Once there, Fiyero fetched them some coffee and they sat down at a table in the corner.

'So…' Elphaba fumbled with the hem of her dress, feeling uncomfortable. 'What do people… _do_… when they're on a date?'

Fiyero chuckled. 'That sounds like you've never been on a date before.'

She gave him a pointed look and he felt the urge to smack himself in the face. 'You haven't?'

'Of course I haven't,' she said, as if that much should be obvious. 'Have you _looked _at me lately? What makes you think anyone would have ever wanted to date the Artichoke?'

'You're not an Artichoke,' he protested immediately. 'and _I _want to date you.'

She softened a bit and gave him a faint smile. 'Well… you're the first.'

He curtsied slightly – for as far as that was possible while still sitting on his chair. 'It's my honour.'

She giggled, a sound that made his heart flutter in his chest, and then she asked, 'So? What _do _people do on dates?'

He actually had to think about that. 'Um… Well, I don't suppose there are rules, really,' he said finally. 'You just… do whatever you like to do. Have dinner, go for a walk, see a movie together… just hang out and talk… anything is possible, really.'

'I see.' She looked at him with those chocolate brown eyes and he _really _felt like kissing her, but he feared she wouldn't really appreciate him doing that in public, so he settled for taking her hand. 'So what do you talk about on a date?' she asked then, making him smile. 'Anything you feel like talking about.'

'Politics?' she teased him and he laughed. 'Anything except for _that_.'

She thought about it for a moment before asking, looking genuinely interested, 'Tell me about your family.'

He was slightly taken aback by that – no girl had ever been interested in his family, other than how much money and castles and land they owned. But then again, Elphaba was like no other girl he had ever dated. He took a sip of his coffee, thinking about it, before beginning with, 'Well, I'm the Crown Prince of the Vinkus, which naturally makes my Mom and Dad…'

'The King and Queen of the Vinkus?' she finished sarcastically. 'Gee, I hadn't figured that out yet. I didn't mean their statuses, Fiyero. I mean what are they like? Do you have any siblings? Aunts and uncles? Cousins? Pets? Tell me about what it's like to live at your home.'

He smiled almost involuntarily when he thought of home. 'Well… My mother is the sweetest woman you've ever met – always warm and kind to everyone, and she insists on everyone, including the servants, calling her 'Lori' instead of 'Queen Eleonore', which always makes my father choke on his food. He's a lot more strict than she is, a little stern perhaps, but well… He's the King. He's probably supposed to be like that. They complement each other really nicely, actually. They're complete opposites, but they love each other very much.'

Elphaba smiled. 'They sound wonderful.'

'They are,' Fiyero agreed. 'Let's see, what else… I don't have any siblings. I was actually kind of a surprise myself, because my parents tried to have children for years, but couldn't. I'm not sure why – I don't think anyone knew. But then I came. My Dad was almost as happy to have an heir to the throne as he was to have a son. He's been teaching me everything about politics and ruling a country ever since I was a little kid, while my Mom was busy spoiling me rotten.'

'Ah, that explains a lot,' Elphaba chuckled, and Fiyero poked her in the side, making her squirm a little. 'Watch what you're saying!'

'Why?' she laughed, still trying to get away from his poking finger. 'It's true, isn't it?'

He was laughing, too. 'Well, yes. I suppose it is.' He drank some coffee before continuing.

'I only have one aunt and uncle who live nearby, Aunt Mimika and Uncle Kor. Aunt Mimi is my father's sister; my mother was an only child, like me, and my Dad's younger brother and his family live all the way in the Emerald City, so they don't visit much.'

Elphaba drew in her breath, eyes shining. 'The Emerald City? That's so great. I've always wanted to go there.'

He smiled at her enthusiasm. 'Well, perhaps I'll take you there once,' he offered. 'I've been there myself a few times. Uncle Jerro will be happy to have me – we can stay with him and my aunt and I'll show you the City.'

'Oh, Yero, that sounds wonderful!' she exclaimed softly, looking at him with those huge eyes of hers. His heart started fluttering again – no one but his family ever called him 'Yero', but the nickname had slipped her almost unconsciously and he loved to hear her say it.

'I'd love that! But I'd hate to be a bother to you, or your aunt and uncle – I mean, they don't even know me…'

'Elphaba,' he interrupted her gently, squeezing her hand. 'You could never be a bother to anyone. My aunt and uncle would be delighted to meet you, I'm sure of that.' He smiled at her, and she couldn't help but smile back. 'If you say so…'

'I do.' He squeezed her hand once more and got up. 'Do you want another coffee?'

She shook her head. 'Just some water, please.'

'All right. I'll be right back.' She followed him with her eyes as he made his way through the maze of tables and chairs. She still couldn't believe she was actually here, on a date… with _him_. The mere thought made her grin like an idiot.

He returned within a few minutes with her water and another cup of coffee for himself and sat down opposite her. 'So, now it's your turn.'

She was immediately on guard. 'What do you mean?'

He put his elbows on the table and rested his chin in his hands, looking at her. 'Tell me about your family.'

She nearly choked on her water. 'Um… there's not much to tell, really.'

'Aw, come on,' he said, smiling at her in an attempt to make her feel more at ease – an attempt that failed. 'I know Nessa is your younger sister,' he tried it differently. 'How old is she, exactly?'

'She just turned seventeen,' Elphaba answered, glad that she could at least answer that question. 'She was born when I was three years old.'

'Were you close? When you grew up?'

Elphaba's eyes got a distant look in them. 'I suppose, in a way. She has been in a chair her entire life and I have cared for her ever since she was born.'

'Why?'

She gazed at him with unreadable dark eyes. 'She's my little sister, Fiyero. I feel responsible for her. I care for her, and so I _take _care of her as well,' she said, quite content with the way she had evaded the question. She was _not _going to tell Fiyero about her mother. She didn't want him to know it was her fault that her mother was dead and Nessa was in a wheelchair, and she also didn't want him to know about the relationship she had with her father, but of course, that was his next question. 'And your parents? Weren't they there to take care of Nessa?'

'Of course my father took care of Nessa,' Elphaba hurried to say, purposefully not mentioning her mother. 'But with her being in a wheelchair and all… she was more comfortable with _me _doing certain things. You know, like help her get dressed, and things like that. _Girl_-like things.' That wasn't a complete lie – she knew that was actually an issue with Nessa, although the real reason, of course, was that she _had _to take care of Nessa if she didn't want to be beaten senseless by her father.

Fiyero, however, was far too observant for her liking. He squinted at her. 'You're not telling me everything.'

She immediately became defensive. 'I'm telling you what I want to tell you,' she snapped, and he quickly backed out. 'I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I meant what I said earlier – I don't want to push you.'

'Then could you please stop asking about my family?'

He nodded and gave her a slightly uncertain smile. 'Sure. What _do _you want to talk about?'

'Anything but my family.'

He chuckled. 'Fair enough. How do you like Shiz so far?'

Her face immediately brightened as she started to talk about how much she loved university, all the classes she was taking and how much she enjoyed them. He watched her talk with a smile, leaning back in his chair. He loved to watch her when she was so passionate about something; her face would always lit up and there would appear a certain sparkle in her eyes, and she would emphasise her words with wild gestures. After a while, she noticed that he was staring at her without really paying attention to what she was saying, and her voice trailed off. She laughed a bit nervously. 'Am I boring you?'

'Not at all,' he answered truthfully, smiling at her. The café was getting more crowded and he noticed her eyes dashing around, as if she was already looking for a way out. He knew she didn't like crowded places, so he offered, 'Do you want to get out of here? I don't know, go for a walk or something?'

She flashed him a grateful smile. 'I'd like that. Thank you.'

He paid for the drinks and they were outside a few minutes later. It was a beautiful night, not too cold, and the sky was cloudless so that the stars were visible. They walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes before reaching the park of Shiz University; then they picked up conversation again.

'Are you going home for Lurlinemas?' Elphaba asked. The holiday was still a few months away, but she was eager to hear more about his home and his family.

He nodded. 'Yeah, my parents want me to come over to the Vinkus. My Mom says she feels like she hasn't seen me in 'forever'.' He chuckled. 'She sounds a little like Galinda sometimes.'

Elphaba smiled. 'Do you have a lot of friends there? In the Vinkus, I mean?'

He thought about that for a moment. 'I was part of this very close group of friends when we were younger,' he said finally, a little reluctantly. 'You know about my reputation, I'm sure?'

She nodded and he sighed. 'Yeah. That's how I got it. There were four of us and we were dancing through life – or so we thought. It started when we were about fifteen, sixteen years old. We felt like we ruled the world, and all we ever did was have fun – and not in the most legal ways, I can tell you. My parents were desperate.' He chuckled. 'But then we went to university and we spread out. Paro – my best friend, who also happens to be my cousin - stayed in the Vinkus, Laoyar left for the Emerald City, and Moss and I went to school in Gillikin.' He laughed at the confused look on her face. 'Yeah, I originally started university in Gillikin. And while Paro, Moss and even Laoyar soon dropped their dancing-through-life-philosophy and _grew up_, I was a little… slower.' He made a face. 'All I ever did was party and drink and have fun, or that was how I saw it. I didn't care about school at all.' They sat down on a bench and looked over the lake that lay behind the university. It sparkled in the moonlight and reflected the many stars in the sky. 'I got kicked out of my first school because my grades became sadly and irreversibly low. So I went to the Emerald University with Laoyar – well, he was a second year student by then and I had to start my first year all over again, but I got kicked out again within a few months because I drank too much and me and a few of my fellow dancers-through-life beheaded the statue of the Wizard and played soccer with it. They did _not _appreciate that.'

Elphaba stifled a laugh at that and he grinned at her. 'Yeah. I wasn't exactly the example of a fine student back then.'

'So then you went to Shiz?'

He looked a little ashamed of himself. 'No. Not yet. I got kicked out of the Emerald University just before Lurlinemas, and after the holidays, my parents sent me to university in the Vinkus, so that they could keep an eye on me. I had to catch up with the other students, because I basically missed out on half a year. That didn't really work out well, although I guess Paro succeeded in hammering just the tiniest bit of sense into my thick skull in those months. He had always been the most serious of our circle, and he tried to convince me to study and _make _something of my life. He was actually starting to succeed, but by then, my grades were already seriously low again, and when they caught me skinny-dipping in the canal…'

Elphaba stared at him. 'You went _skinny-dipping_ in the canal near your university?'

He made a face. 'Yeah. I had found myself a few fellow partiers and a few bottles of liquid again, and when we were drunk enough, we decided to do a spitting contest. The loser had to undress and swim around in the canal. I lost, and I was just swimming around when the Headmistress happened to walk by.'

Elphaba snickered. 'She didn't!'

He gave her a lopsided grin. 'She did. My 'friends' had already fled by then, so all she saw was me in the canal, butt-naked. She did _not _like that.'

'How could someone not like that?' she teased him, poking his side playfully, and he laughed. 'Yeah, I never got that, either. I tried to charm my way out of it, but that didn't work. Combined with my grades, it was enough to kick me out. My Dad looked ready to kill me. He told me he was going to give me one last shot, at Shiz University, before pulling me out and locking me up in the castle to teach me himself.' He sighed. 'I didn't _want _to disappoint them. It just… happened. And I do regret it, even though studying still isn't among my strong points. I really don't want to get kicked out of Shiz, though.'

'Because then you're going to be taught by your father?'

He thought about that for a moment. 'No. Because this time, I have a reason to stay. I _want _to stay.'

She looked surprised. 'Really? You like Shiz that much?'

'No,' he said, gingerly putting an arm around her shoulders. 'I like _you _that much. And since being kicked out of Shiz means that I will probably never see _you_ again, I am determined to stay.'

She blushed. 'Really?'

He nodded solemnly. 'Really. Try as they might, my friends nor my parents ever managed to get through to me in my dancing-through-life-stage. You, on the other hand, snapped me out of it the moment I saved you from that train.'

Her blush deepened and she snuggled a little closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. He kept his arm around her and rested his cheek against her hair. It felt soft and silky as it tickled his skin, and he absent-mindedly ran his fingers through it. She yawned and quickly clasped her hand over her mouth. 'I'm sorry. Blame the hour, not the company.'

He chuckled. 'If the company was to blame, I'd have to seriously start working about my conversation skills. Do you want me to take you home?'

She shook her head, staring across the lake to the beautiful night sky above. 'No. Not yet.'

'All right,' he said, secretly happy their date wasn't over yet. He played with her hair some more as she started to point out the different star constellations to him. He listened to her voice, more because he liked to hear her voice than because what she was saying was interesting him so much, until she interrupted herself with another yawn. 'Sorry – again. Ugh, Galinda would kill me. This is _so _unladylike. Please believe me when I tell you it's not your fault.'

He laughed. 'I believe you. And I don't think it's unladylike at all. You look adorable when you yawn.'

She looked at him as if he were crazy. 'You think I look adorable with my mouth wide open?'

He chuckled. 'It sounds stupid when you put it like that. You don't even _have _your mouth wide open when you yawn. Really, it looks cute.'

She put down her head again, muttering something under her breath about idiots, and he grinned. He wished he could stay here with her, like this, forever. It was just so perfect.

Neither of them moved for the next few minutes. He realised it must be getting late and he asked softly, 'Do you want to go back?'

No response came and he lifted his head to look at her. 'Elphaba?'

He smiled when he realised she had fallen asleep with her head still on his shoulder. He could look at her like this forever, but he knew Galinda would be worried if her roommate didn't return soon and so he gently shook her awake. 'Elphaba? Come on, I'll take you home.'

She blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes. 'Oh my Oz, I can't believe I actually fell _asleep_!' she said, looking completely horrified and embarrassed. 'I'm so sorry!'

He laughed and kissed her nose. 'It's okay. Really. You look adorable when you sleep.'

She scowled at him. 'I am _not _adorable.'

'You are when you are asleep,' he teased her and she shoved him, laughing. He helped her up and noticed she was shivering – more with sleepiness than with cold, probably, but he took off his jacket nonetheless and placed it around her shoulders. He rubbed her upper arms and she flashed him a grateful smile. 'Thank you.'

He put his arm around her and kept rubbing her arms. 'Better?'

She leaned closer to him and put her head on his shoulder again as they walked. 'Much better.'

He took her back to their dorm and stopped in front of the door to Galinda's and Elphaba's room. They shuffled around a bit uncomfortably. 'Well… Thank you,' Elphaba finally said. 'I had a great time tonight.'

'Does that mean that you'll say yes if I ask you to go out again tomorrow night?'

She beamed at him. 'Really?'

He laughed. 'Of course.'

'I'd love that,' she said, and he smiled at her. 'Good.' He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, and she put her arms around his neck and looked up at him. 'You do know how dates usually end, don't you?' he asked quietly, and she laughed. 'I do.'

'And you're okay with that?'

She pretended to think about that for a moment. 'Why yes, I think I am.'

'So… Can I kiss you now?'

She rolled her eyes at him and closed the distance between them. He kissed her back, marvelling in the sensation of it, but they were suddenly interrupted when the door opened. They quickly pulled apart and Galinda stared at them. 'Ooh. Oh my Oz, I am _so _sorry!' she squealed, quickly closing the door again. 'Please continue! Don't mind me!'

Elphaba chuckled and Fiyero grinned, too, but only half-heartedly, because he knew Elphaba wouldn't kiss him again now that she knew her roommate was right on the other side of the door. She looked up at him and gave him a brief, soft kiss on the lips. 'Goodnight, Yero.'

His heart leapt the way it always did when she called him that and he smiled at her. 'Goodnight, Elphaba.'

She returned his smile before entering her dorm room and softly closing the door behind her.

* * *

**See the review button? It's just begging you to click it. **


	7. Pleasing Fathers

**AN: Hello everyone! Thank you very much for reviewing again - virtual brownies and home-made apple pie to you all! ^^ Next chappie is up - some more Fiyeraba fluff, and some interaction between Elphaba and a certain person mentioned in the title of this chapter that is far from fluffy. Yay. Or not-so-yay. You decide.**

**Furthermore, I just want to do some self-promo. I started a crossover fanfic between Wicked and Glee a few days ago and I've not been getting too much reviews on it, so I just wanted to ask you if you could please check it out and tell me what you think? It's my first crossover and I think I could use some tips on how to make it better. Thanks in advance!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

* * *

'Fabala, are you sure this is a good idea?' Nessarose asked one day when Elphaba was taking her sister back to Madame Morrible's rooms after class.

Elphaba looked at her sister. 'What do you mean, Nessie?'

'I mean you and Fiyero,' Nessa said hesitantly. 'I mean… I'm happy for you, I truly am. I just… I hope you're not planning on doing anything stupid.'

Elphaba, who knew exactly what her sister was talking about, scowled. 'Nessa, we've only had three dates so far. We're not even together for a week. Do you really think that low of me?'

Nessa blushed. 'No, of course not. I'm sorry, Elphaba, I didn't mean it like that. I meant more like, in the future, when you're together for a longer time, and…'

'I won't do anything stupid, Nessa. You should know me better than that,' Elphaba said, holding open the door for her sister. Nessa wheeled inside and turned around. 'You're right, I should. I'm sorry I brought it up.' She hesitated for a moment. 'Would you brush my hair?' she asked, and Elphaba recognised it as some sort of peace offering and smiled at her sister. 'Sure, Nessa.'

* * *

Elphaba and Fiyero were lying in the grass by the lake together. It was a beautiful day, not to mention very warm for the time of the year, but they had found themselves a spot clear of any other students nonetheless. They had had a wonderful picnic together and now she was lying with her head on his chest, his arm draped around her casually, his other hand laced with hers, just doing nothing. She never did 'nothing'; she could usually think of so many more useful things to do with her time. Now, however, there was nothing she'd rather be doing than… well, nothing.

His index finger traced patterns on her side. 'What are you thinking about?'

She laughed softly as she answered truthfully, 'Nothing.'

She felt his chuckle vibrate in his chest. 'I thought that was my job. I imagined you to be the type to always think of _something_.'

'I used to,' she conceded. 'You're a bad influence on me.'

He smiled and kissed the top of her head. 'Lucky me.' Suddenly, he got up and stretched out his hand to help her up as well. 'How do you care for a swim?'

She looked up at him. 'Are you serious?'

He nodded, still smiling. 'It's warm enough. Don't you like to swim?'

She loved to swim, but she was still a little reluctant. Swimming meant undressing… and she wasn't sure she was ready for that.

He seemed to read her thoughts, because his smile turned into a grin. 'You can keep on your clothes, if you want to.' His grin became a bit impish. 'Unless you _don't _want to keep them on.'

She blushed furiously and he laughed as he helped her up. 'Nothing inappropriate, I promise. Just swimming.'

She hesitated a while longer before finally giving in. 'Fine.' She was wearing nothing besides her underwear and her usual black frock, and she didn't remove any of her clothing before diving into the water. Fiyero only took off his shirt before following her. He swam under water for a while – he loved how silent it was under the water, how peaceful, and he wished he could stay down forever. Eventually, though, he had to come up for breath, and he was immediately captured by the image of her.

She was swimming not too far away from him, completely oblivious to the fact that he was watching her. She was moving through the water gracefully, her long limbs stretching and bending as she went on, her ebony hair floating in the water behind her like seaweed. She turned around and caught him staring, which made her blush again. 'What?'

'Nothing,' he said, unable to keep a smile from his face. 'You just look so beautiful when you swim.'

Her blush deepened. 'You're an idiot.'

'Because I give you a compliment?'

'Because you say I'm beautiful.'

'You are.'

She rolled her eyes at him. 'Yeah, right.'

'Hey.' He caught her arm as she turned away from him and pulled her back. 'You are. And I'm going to keep telling you that until you believe it yourself.'

She scoffed. 'In that case, you will be wasting a lot of breath in the future.'

'It's not wasted when it's used to compliment you,' he told her, and the rosy colour immediately flooded back into her cheeks. He laughed. 'I love it when you blush.'

'I hate it when you _make _me blush,' she said, scowling at him, but a smile was tugging at her lips and he kissed them. 'No, you don't.'

She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him back. 'You're right, I don't.'

He smiled against her lips and rested his one hand on the back of her neck and his other on her waist. 'I love you.'

She tensed instantly, before pulling away, looking at him with wide eyes. 'What did you just say?'

He felt like slapping himself. What happened to not pushing her? The words had just slipped him, almost involuntarily. 'Elphaba…'

'I… I have to go,' she stammered, before climbing out of the water and starting to pack her things. He was quick to follow her, though. 'Elphaba, please, don't do this again! I can't stand you running from me - I'm sorry!'

She froze and he took the opportunity to step a little closer to her, making sure to keep a reasonable distance between them. 'Forget I ever said it. It just… escaped me, that's all.'

She took a deep breath. 'Fiyero…'

He saw she was about to turn away again, so he took another step in her direction. 'Please?'

Finally, she sighed and turned around to face him. 'Fine. I'll stay. But… I need to think about this, Yero.' His heart started fluttering again when she called him that and he carefully approached her. She eyed him warily, but allowed him to wrap his arms around her and rest his chin on top of her head. 'I'm really sorry.'

He expected her to ignore that, but instead she asked him softly, 'Do you mean it?'

He considered lying to her for a moment, just because he was afraid she'd run away again when he told her the truth, but he couldn't. It hadn't been his intention to say it out loud, but he meant it nonetheless, and he told her so. 'I do.'

She was silent for a while, not pulling away, but not saying anything either. He imagined she was thinking it through. 'I didn't mean to push you, Elphaba. I really am sorry.'

She thought about that for a moment before saying softly, 'Don't be.'

He was surprised and he pulled away a little to look at her. 'Really?'

She offered him a small smile. 'Really. I just…' She hesitated, and he gently lifted her chin so that she would look at him. 'Hey. I'm not asking for anything here. You don't have to say it back if you're not ready to.'

She smiled again, more genuinely this time, and stood on her tiptoes to press a soft kiss on his lips. 'Thank you.'

'You're more than welcome, Fae,' he told her earnestly. She looked at him questioningly and he laughed, feeling a bit embarrassed. 'I just figured it would be nice to have a nickname for you, and since Elphie is already occupied… But I can drop it if you hate it.'

She traced her finger down his chest thoughtfully. 'No. I like it.'

He smiled broadly at her. 'Then Fae it is.' His smile became a mischievous grin. 'Shall we get back into the water?'

* * *

'Fabala!' Nessa cried as she made her way towards her sister and Fiyero, enthusiastically waving a letter through the air. 'Fabala, look!'

'What is it, Nessa?' the green girl asked, frowning slightly. She barely ever saw her younger sister this happy.

Nessa was beaming. 'It's a letter from father! He has been on a business trip for the past week, and he is going to stop by Shiz on his way back to see us!'

Fiyero felt Elphaba tense. 'He's coming here?'

Nessa smiled excitedly. 'Yes! He'll be here in a few days. Isn't it wonderful?'

Elphaba managed a strained smile. 'Sure, Nessa. That's great.'

Nessa's face grew a little more serious. 'Elphaba… I know you two don't really get along too well, but…'

'It's fine, Nessie, really,' Elphaba hurried to reassure her little sister. 'I have to admit I can't really be as excited about this as you are, but I know you and father have a wonderful relationship and you miss him very much. I'm happy for _you _that he's coming.'

Nessa's face softened and she squeezed her sister's hand. 'Thank you, Fabala,' she said sincerely, before wheeling back towards one of the Shiz buildings.

Elphaba could almost Fiyero's eyes burn, but she didn't even look at him. 'Please don't,' was all she said, and he complied and didn't ask anything.

A few days later, Elphaba took Nessa to the gates of Shiz University to wait for their father to arrive. They didn't have to wait long; they could see the carriage approaching them within ten minutes of waiting, and it stopped right in front of them. The driver opened the door and helped Governor Frexspar of Munchkinland out of the carriage. Frex's eyes were immediately drawn to his favourite daughter and his face softened as he smiled and walked over to embrace her. 'Nessa, my precious girl. You look wonderful.'

'Thank you, father,' the girl replied, smiling as well, as her father kissed her forehead. His smile turned into a frown when his gaze fell upon his green monstrosity of an eldest daughter. 'Elphaba,' he greeted her curtly.

'Father,' she replied just as formally. Frex took it upon him to push Nessa's wheelchair, with Elphaba following behind, carrying the bags he had brought containing presents for Nessarose. She wasn't really listening to whatever it was they were discussing as they walked over to Shiz Café. Instead, she noticed the students staring at her – even more so than usual – and she tried to make herself as small as possible, which, of course, didn't really work. Suddenly, she saw Galinda walking over to her, chatting with Pfannee, Shenshen and Milla. Her friend hadn't noticed her yet and Elphaba was determined to keep it that way; she didn't want Galinda to know her father treated her like a servant. She hurried to catch up with her father and Nessa and let out a sigh of relief when she managed to slip inside the café without being seen.

'Elphaba,' her father hissed at her. 'Get over here with those presents and go get us something to drink!'

'Yes, father,' she replied, handing him the bags, which he snagged out of her hands. 'What would you like to drink?'

'Coffee,' Frex replied, looking at Nessa fondly. 'What do you want, my darling?'

'Some tea, please,' Nessa said, and Frex looked at Elphaba with a harsh look on his face. 'You hear her. Tea. And don't forget to put the right amount of sugar in my coffee.'

'Of course not, father,' she said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. In the many years she had been serving her father, she had never once gotten the amount of sugar wrong, yet he always warned her about it nonetheless.

She got them the drinks, after which her father dismissed her; he wished to be alone with Nessa and told her to wait outside the café. She obeyed, watching birds fly through the sky as she waited for them to finish their conversation and their drinks and come back outside.

'Elphie?' She flinched. Galinda. She swallowed and turned around with a smile plastered on her face. 'Hi, Galinda.'

The blonde frowned. 'Is something wrong?'

Elphaba shook her head. 'Nothing at all.'

The frown deepened. 'Then why are you standing here all by yourself? Come inside the café with me, we can have lunch together!'

Elphaba hesitated. 'I don't think that's a good idea, Lin. Perhaps some other time.'

Galinda looked at her pointedly. 'Elphaba Thropp, what are you hiding from me?'

'Nothing!' The blonde quirked an eyebrow and Elphaba sighed. 'I'm just waiting for my father and Nessa, that's all.'

The brow furrowed again. 'Why would you wait for them outside? Come on, get inside with me – it's getting awfully chilly outside, isn't it? And only a few days ago it was still warm enough to swim and sunbathe – the weather changes so quickly around here! I bet winter can kick in now every clock-tick…' While chattering, she pulled Elphaba back inside the café and the green girl had no choice but to follow.

She had barely set foot inside the café before her father looked up and scowled at her. 'Didn't I tell you to wait outside?'

'Father, this is a friend of mine,' Elphaba said, trying not to show the fear she was feeling. 'We can have a drink together while we wait for you and Nessa to finish up, can't we?'

'A friend?' His scowl turned into a contemptuous look. 'Who would want to be friends with you?'

Galinda felt anger bubble up inside her – no wonder Elphaba didn't like to talk about her father. This man was horrible! 'Excuse me, sir, but _I _do,' she snapped. 'Elphie is the bestest friend I've ever had and she's a wonderful person and if you can't see that, that's _your_ loss! Come on, Elphie.' She pulled the green girl to a table as far away from the Governor as she could get, leaving said Governor baffled. Elphaba flashed her friend a grateful smile. 'Thanks, Galinda.'

'I don't believe that man!' the blonde said indignantly. 'Although your behaviour makes more sense now.'

Elphaba sighed. 'Would you please just… please drop it, Lin? He'll be gone by tonight and I won't have to worry about him anymore for the next few months.'

Galinda grumbled. 'Fine. But I hate him. No offense.'

Elphaba laughed softly. 'None taken. Not by me, anyway.'

Galinda grinned at her before flopping down on a seat and taking the menu. Elphaba continued to watch her father and sister, who were engrossed in a conversation about something. He looked so much different when he was talking to Nessa than when he was talking to her. With her, he was always scowling, disdain clearly visible in his eyes – and that was only when he took the effort to even look at her. With Nessa, his face was softer and his eyes were filled with nothing but love. Not for the first time, she wondered what he saw when he looked at her. Did he even think of her as his daughter? She doubted it.

But then again, what with her mother's death and Nessa's disability being her fault… she couldn't really blame him.

'Elphaba!' a harsh voice came, and she looked up to find her father waving irritably at her. 'Get over here right now!'

She shot Galinda an apologetic look before jumping up and hurrying over to her father's table. 'Yes, father?'

'Nessa wishes to have some water,' he told her. 'And I want some, too.'

'Yes, father,' she said, before taking off to get the drinks. When she returned, however, she tripped over the carpet and accidentally poured the water into Nessa's lap. She gasped. 'Oh, Nessa, I'm so sorry!'

Her father got up, face red with anger, eyes blazing. 'Elphaba!'

'I'm really sorry, father! Nessa, please! It was an accident!' she pleaded apologetically. Nessa looked at their father. 'It's all right, father. It's just water. Don't worry about it.'

But he did, and Elphaba knew even Nessa's efforts wouldn't save her now. She winced as he grabbed her arm. 'You!' he shouted at a boy sitting at a table nearby. 'Take my precious daughter to her rooms,' he said with a soft look at Nessa. 'I'll be right there, darling,' he promised, before quite literally dragging Elphaba outside.

Galinda had watched the scene with her mouth wide open and was now strolling over to Nessa. 'Why didn't you say something?' she demanded. 'Are you just going to let him treat her like that?'

Nessa looked up at the blonde girl with just the slightest hint of sadness in her eyes. 'I tried that in the past,' she said calmly. 'But I learned that interfering only makes things worse for Elphaba.' She had tried to stand up for her sister once, but it had caused Frex to beat the green girl even harder for 'trying to corrupt her sister'. She now knew better than to interfere, even though she didn't like the way her father treated Elphaba.

Galinda grew even more worried. 'What do you mean, it only makes things worse? What is he doing to her?'

A painful look crossed the tragically beautiful girl's face. 'I'm sorry, Galinda, I can't… I just…' She took a deep breath and shook her head. 'You'll find out soon enough,' she said ominously, but before Galinda could ask what that was supposed to mean, Nessa had wheeled herself to the door and disappeared from sight.

* * *

Elphaba didn't come to class that afternoon, causing Galinda to go positively panicky. Elphaba never skipped class. Ever. She had showed up for History once with a 104 degree temperature – Dr. Dillamond had sent her to the infirmary immediately, but it hadn't kept her from showing up in the first place. And now she wasn't there. Galinda went looking for her roommate right after class; she checked the library, the Shiz Café, the White Rose Café, the park – she actually looked up to see if the green girl had hidden in a tree again – but Elphaba was nowhere to be found. By the time Galinda went back to her dorm, dozens of worst case scenarios were going through her mind. Frex had kidnapped Elphaba to marry her off to some old Munchkinlander. Frex had killed his daughter and was now busy burying her body. Frex had locked her up somewhere to starve to death. Frex had abused or raped Elphaba and she had committed suicide. Frex had pushed Elphaba in front of a train.

So when she got back to her room and found her roommate sitting on her bed, the relief she felt was overwhelming. 'Elphie! Thank Oz you're okay!' she squealed, causing Elphaba to wince. 'Please keep the squealing to a minimum. I have a terrible headache.'

'How come?' Galinda asked, but at that moment Elphaba turned around and the blonde girl gasped. 'Elphie! What did he do to you?!'

Elphaba shrugged, as if it didn't mean anything. 'It wasn't _that _bad, Lin. He's done worse.'

'Worse than this?!' the blonde screamed, stamping over to the other side of the room to take a closer look at Elphaba. Her roommate had a black eye and a split lip, and the cut in her forehead had been newly stitched. There were some bruises visible on the green girl's arms and shoulders and Galinda could only imagine what Frex had done to Elphaba that she _couldn't _see. 'Sweet Oz, Elphie! Did you go to the infirmary?'

Elphaba nodded, grimacing slightly. 'I wanted to come to class, but Frex had somehow managed to open that cut in my forehead again, you know, the one from when Avaric pushed me off the train platform. They had to stitch it up again and the nurse made me stay for a few hours to make sure I wasn't bleeding internally, or something.' She rolled her eyes and Galinda looked at her solemnly. 'That's not funny, Elphie,' she said flatly. 'Your own _father _just did this to you and you pretend like it's the most normal thing in the world!'

'It is,' Elphaba snapped suddenly. 'It is, okay? This isn't the first time and I'm sure it hasn't been the last time, either. I'm used to it. It's how he treats me. If I do something wrong, he beats me. It's as simple as that, all right?' She turned her back towards her roommate and curled into herself on the bed. 'I want to go to sleep now.'

'Oh, Elphie,' Galinda said softly, stroking the other girl's raven hair. 'I'm so sorry.'

It was silent for a while, before Elphaba said softly, 'So am I, Lin. So am I.'


	8. Hurt

**AN: Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews! You're making me very happy :). **

**Disclaimer: Wicked is not mine. I'm just one out of many, many fans (hey, perhaps we could all buy the rights together! :D).**

* * *

'Oh, Elphaba..' Tears sprang to Nessarose's eyes and she covered her mouth with her hand as she laid eyes upon her older sister. 'I'm so sorry.'

Elphaba shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. 'It's not that big a deal, Nessie. It was my own fault.'

Nessa looked at her as if the green girl had gone crazy. 'You _tripped_, Fabala. How is that your fault?'

'I wasn't paying attention,' Elphaba replied, not looking at her younger sister as she pushed her through the hallways. Nessa turned around in her chair to look at the green girl. 'Fabala.'

'I know you're sorry, Nessie,' Elphaba said, still pushing the chair. 'But please, don't be. You know what father's like around me. I can't blame him.'

'Fabala, those milk flowers…'

'I don't want to talk about it, Nessa,' Elphaba said a bit sternly, and the younger girl didn't say anything anymore; she merely turned back and stared ahead of her as she was pushed through the hallway, without really seeing anything.

'Here's your class, Nessie. Do you want me to pick you up afterwards?'

Nessa shook her head. 'No, thank you. Boq is taking me to town this afternoon. I won't be back until after dinner.'

Elphaba smiled a bit sadly. 'Have fun, then.'

Nessa returned the smile. 'I will.'

Elphaba left her sister and hurried to her own class, where Galinda was already waiting for her. The blonde gasped as she saw her roomie approach. 'Elphaba!'

The green girl gave her friend a puzzled look. 'What?'

Galinda lifted her hand as if she wanted to touch Elphaba's face, but faltered and pulled her hand back. 'It's just… It looks worse than it did yesterday.'

'That's only because of the daylight, Galinda. Plus it takes a while for bruises to form – you know, for the blood to…'

'Elphie,' Galinda interrupted her friend with a stern look. 'Don't try and reason this away. I know you always reason _everything_ away…' She was interrupted by the teacher, who called for the classes attention, and the blonde gave Elphaba a pointed look. 'We're not done talking.'

'There's nothing to talk about,' the green girl hissed back. 'It's happened. That's all. No big deal.'

Galinda opened her mouth again, but she saw it wouldn't be any use; Elphaba was bent over her notes and didn't acknowledge the presence of her roommate anymore for the rest of the duration of class. She got up quickly afterwards and had disappeared before Galinda had even collected her things.

The blonde sighed, muttering under her breath, 'Stubborn girl.'

* * *

Fiyero gave a yelp when he was walking through the park and a green, barefooted leg suddenly swung down from above him, barely missing his face. He heard a stifled giggle from above him. 'Oops. Sorry.'

He looked up and could just make out her long ebony hair and the bright red cover of the book she was reading. 'Don't you know it's rude to kick other people in the face?'

She suddenly shot up as if she had been stung. 'Fiyero!'

He looked up in confusion. 'Yes?' Apparently, she hadn't recognised him, but he didn't quite get why she was being all jittery now that she had. She cleared her throat. 'Nothing.'

'Are you avoiding me?'

She shook her head. 'I'm avoiding Galinda.'

'Why?'

She hesitated for a moment, before replying, 'Girl business.'

He decided he probably didn't want to know what that was supposed to mean. Instead, he said, 'Then you'd better get up higher. There aren't green legs dangling down from every tree in this park, you know.'

He heard her chuckle. 'Thanks for the advice.'

He looked up, but her face was still hidden by her hair and the leaves of the tree, so he settled for tickling her bare foot. She immediately pulled it up. 'Don't!'

'What?' he said with a mischievous grin, pulling her leg back down. 'You don't like being tickled?'

'I _hate _it,' she grumbled, and he tickled her foot again. 'Say what?'

'Fiyero!'

'That's me.' He started stroking her calf, ravelling in the smoothness of her skin. He kissed it and she squealed. 'What are you _doing_?'

'Attracting your attention,' he answered, before grabbing her leg and yanking it down. She lost her balance, as he had intended her to, and she screamed as she fell down. He caught her, of course, and grinned at her. 'Hi.'

'Fiyero Tiggular!' she spluttered, squirming in his grip, but he didn't put her down. Instead, he moved one hand to brush her dark hair from her face…

She started squirming again, so unexpected that he dropped her. 'Fae, what…'

'I have to go,' she said quickly, gathering her things and making to leave. He caught her wrist, but his playful mood quickly grew serious when she gave a yelp of pain at that. 'Elphaba?'

'Nothing,' she tried, attempting to pull her arm back. 'Let me go.'

He moved his hand a little and caught sight of the purplish bruise surrounding her wrist. He gasped. 'Who did this?'

'No one!' She tried to get way again, but he wouldn't budge. He trailed his eyes up her arms, discovering more bruises upon them. 'Elphaba…'

'Please,' she whispered pleadingly. 'Just let me go.'

He didn't. Instead, he pulled her closer and gently wiped the hair from her face… but what he saw there shocked him even more.

He was so baffled that his grip on her loosened, and she pulled herself free and fled, her hair flying behind her. He watched her go, finding himself unable to move as he tried to process what he had just seen. Who had done this to her? Why had she tried to hide it from him?

He shook his head in an attempt to clear it and gave her a head start before going after her. It wasn't hard to find her; he was starting to get to know her, and he knew that when she was upset, she would try to be alone somewhere. That usually meant climbing up a tree – which was unlikely in this case, since that was where he had found her in the first place -, going to her dorm – but only when Galinda wasn't there, and he knew the blonde to be there getting ready for a party right now – or hiding in the library. More specifically: the _storage room _in the library. He had thought she had been joking when she had told him that's where she had been hiding when she was trying to avoid him sometime before, but it had turned out she had been serious. He had found her there several times now and this time was no different; he opened the door and immediately discovered her, huddled in a corner, crying silent tears. He was with her in a clock-tick. 'Fae?'

'Don't touch me,' she whimpered, but he sensed that she wouldn't push him away if he did – or he hoped so, at least – and so he wrapped his arms around her and held her shivering, cowering form close against him, stroking her hair. 'Ssh… It's okay, Fae, it's okay. I'm here. No one is going to hurt you, I promise.'

That only made her cry harder, because she knew people – specifically, her father – _would _hurt her again. He would keep doing that until… she wasn't sure until when. Until he died. Until he would accidentally beat _her _to death. Or until she managed to get away. But where could she go? Nowhere. She had to endure this for a few more years. Then she would graduate Shiz and she could go and build her own life somewhere.

'Who was it, Fae?' Fiyero asked softly, and she buried her face in his shoulder. 'Elphaba…' He tried to look at her, but she clung to him as if she were a small child and he didn't say anything after that, just letting her cry until she had no more tears left.

She pulled back, sniffing. 'Sorry.'

'You don't have anything to apologise for.' He gently brushed the hair from her face once again and she winced. He pulled back immediately. 'Sorry. Did I hurt you?'

She shook her head. 'I just…' She sighed almost inaudibly. 'I don't want you to see me like this.'

He lifted her face to make her look at him. 'Stop trying to be strong for me.'

'You've already seen me weak much too often for my liking,' she muttered. He shook his head in exasperation. 'Oz, Elphaba, will you stop it? You're not weak. You're _human_. And I will love you no matter how many times you cry or break down.'

She smiled faintly and he looked at her, confused. 'What?'

'You said it again.'

'I said _what _again?'

'The L-word,' she said, cuddling a bit closer to him. He smiled, too, as he caught her meaning. 'I did, didn't I?' He looked down at her and grew serious again. 'Fae… Who did this to you?'

She shook her head weakly. 'No one.'

'Fae…'

'It's no big deal. Really. It was my own fault, it doesn't matter.'

He tilted her face again to look her in the eye, trying not to show his horror when he could finally take a good look at the bruises. 'Was it Avaric?'

For a clock-tick, she was tempted to lie and say it _had_ been Avaric. She still didn't want Fiyero to know about her father, but if she told him it was Avaric… She was pretty sure Fiyero would immediately stalk off to punch the other boy, and no matter how horrible Avaric had been to her, she didn't find it fair for him to be punished for something he hadn't even done. So she took a deep breath. 'No. It wasn't Avaric.'

He waited patiently for her to continue, and when she did, her voice was barely a whisper. 'It was my father.'

Surprise, horror, incomprehension and anger all crossed his face before he got up brusquely. 'I'm going to kill him.'

'Yero, no!' She grabbed his hand and tugged it until he sat back down again. 'Please. He's not worth it.'

'Look what he's done to you, Fae!'

She rolled her eyes. 'Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I've always been fine.'

It took a moment before it dawned on him what she meant. 'He's done this before?' he demanded in an incredulous voice. She winced at his tone, but nodded. 'Many times before.'

'But… but why?'

'I don't want to talk about it.' Visions started plaguing her – visions of her mother, Nessa, milk flowers, a funeral… She pushed them away. 'Just… just stop worrying, okay? Like I said, I'll be fine. He's on his way back to Munchkinland now – he left yesterday evening.'

'But you'll see him again,' Fiyero said quietly. 'Won't you?'

She gave him a look. 'Of course I will. He's my father.'

'Lurlinemas is coming up in a few weeks, Elphaba. Are you going home for the holidays?'

She sighed. 'Yes.'

He shook his head. 'No, you're not. You're coming to the Vinkus with me.'

She had to smile at his offer. 'Yero…'

'I'm serious,' he said, gazing into her eyes intently. 'I'm not letting you go near that man again.'

'It's only four weeks, Yero.'

'That's four weeks too long.'

'For what, exactly?'

'For you to be with him,' he replied instantly. After a moment, he added, softer this time, 'For me to be away from you.'

She laughed softly and snuggled deeper into his arms. 'I'll miss you, too.'

'It's not just that and you know it. If he did _this _to you in one day… I don't think I even want to know what he'll do to you in four weeks!'

'Fiyero,' she said sternly, sitting up straight to look him in the face. 'I've lived with the man my entire life. I'll be _fine_. I'd love to spend the holidays in the Vinkus with you, I do, but he'll never let me. He needs me at home.' To take care of Nessa, and to cook for her father and his guests at Lurlinemas – despite the contempt he felt for his eldest daughter, he knew she could cook better than any of his own cooks and so he always made her take care of Lurlinemas dinner. She didn't tell Fiyero that, though. 'I can't leave Nessa alone with him for four weeks.' At least that wasn't a lie.

He sighed. 'I wish I could change your mind.' He rested his chin on top of her head. 'Fine. Go home for Lurlinemas. But Oz, I swear that if he does this again, I'll make him pay.' She knew he was being completely serious and she only loved him more for it. He was always so protective of her. She would never admit it, to him or to anyone else, but despite her protests and struggles, she liked it when he did that – being overprotective. It made her feel loved and that felt wonderful.

He decided to let the subject slide then – it was clear she wasn't going to change her mind about it and there was really nothing he could do now, however much he hated to admit it. Besides, it clearly made her uncomfortable to talk about it, so he swiftly changed the subject to something lighter. 'So I'll let you go,' he continued, and she tried to look up at him because she sensed there was more, but he was still holding her close against him so she couldn't really move. 'On one condition.'

She wriggled uncomfortably in his grip. 'What?'

'Next week's masquerade.'

She had a sinking feeling she knew where this was going. 'What about it?'

'You're going.'

'No.'

'With me.'

'No.'

'Consider it a date.'

'_No_.'

'I'll pick you up at eight.' He grinned at her as he rose and stretched out his hand to help her up, as well. She didn't accept it; instead, she got up on her own and glared at him. 'What part of 'no' don't you understand?'

He pretended to think about that for a moment. 'I'm not sure I understand any part of it, really. I'm afraid it's a rather foreign concept to me – no one has ever said it to me before.'

She snorted. 'That much is probably true.' She fluttered her eyelashes at him in a pretty good impression of the silly school girls that were always swooning over him. '"Oh yes, Fiyero, your hair looks _great_. I'd _love_ to go to the party with you, Fiyero. Sure, I'll zip up your pants for you, Fiyero. Oh, Fiyero, of _course _I'll jump in the canal if you want me to!"'

He chuckled. 'What can I say? I'm a very persuasive person. So you'll go with me?'

She grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer to her until their faces were mere inches apart. His breath caught in his throat as he was absolutely sure she was going to kiss him. Instead, she whispered, her breath caressing his cheek, '_No_.'

He narrowed his eyes at her. 'This conversation isn't over yet, Miss Thropp.'

* * *

'Are you sure you're okay?' Galinda asked worriedly for what must have been the thousandth time. Elphaba cast her eyes heavenwards in exasperation. 'I swear to you,' she said in a dangerously low voice, glaring at her friend, 'that the next person who asks me that will be a _toad _for the next few days.'

'Hey!' the blonde protested, holding up her hands in feigned innocence. 'I'm just worried about you!'

'Well, I'm sick of everyone worrying,' Elphaba snapped. 'So stop it.'

Galinda defiantly stuck her chin in the air. 'I can't. Because I'm your best friends, and that's what best friends do. They worry.'

Elphaba sighed. 'It's not just you. It's Nessa, Fiyero…'

'Well, it's what sisters and boyfriends do, too,' Galinda offered, earning herself another glare from her friend. 'Hey, I'm only trying to help. We all mean well, Elphie. Don't get worked up about it. No matter how normal this,' she gestured towards the other girl's face, 'may be to you, it's not. Not to us, anyway. We just can't stand the thought of any man doing this to his own daughter.' Her face flushed with anger again when she thought of Frexspar Thropp. She clenched her fists together. 'Umph, how I hate that man.'

Elphaba gave her a weary smile, rolling over on her bed so that she was now lying on her stomach. 'I've never considered you and Fiyero murderous people, but my father appears to bring out the worst in you two.'

Galinda giggled. 'Well, excuse me. I wouldn't actually _kill _him – I mean, that would be _so _unladylike. But perhaps I can get Fiyero to do it for me…' She laughed at the expression on Elphaba's face. 'Oh, I'm sorry, Elphie! I just can't help it! After seeing him treating you the way he did, and then this…'

'Would you drop it already?'

Galinda sighed, but complied. 'Fine. Different subject. I get it. Ooh!' She started bouncing up and down on her bed. 'The dance next week!'

Elphaba eyed her fried wearily, wondering if it would be rude to pull the covers over her head right now and ignore the blonde for the rest of the evening. 'That wasn't exactly the subject I had in mind,' she tried.

Galinda stuck out her tongue. 'It's either discussing the many ways in which I'd like to murder your father or talk about the masquerade. Your pick.'

A deep sigh. 'Fine,' the green girl grumbled. 'What about the dance?'

'Are you going?'

'No.'

The blonde looked perplexed. 'Fiyero didn't ask you?'

'I didn't say that. I said that I wasn't going.'

A big grin lit up Galinda's face. 'So he _did _ask you! Which means you're going, because it would be rude to refuse, now wouldn't it? Can I give you a makeover? Please? Pretty pretty please?'

Another sigh, followed by a flat, 'No. Like I said, I'm not going. I hate parties.'

'It's not a party, it's a…'

'I hate dances, too.'

'Elphie, it's a _masquerade_,' Galinda whined. 'And you can't just not go! Everyone will be there!'

Elphaba sighed and rolled over to look at her roommate. 'I certainly can 'not go', and I will 'not go'. I hate parties. Masquerades,' she corrected herself, rolling her eyes, at the pointed look the blonde was giving her. 'And besides, I look ridiculous – even more so than usual, with those bruises in my face. I don't really fancy showing them off to the entire student population, thank you very much.'

'It's a _masquerade_,' Galinda repeated sternly. 'That means there will be a _mask _covering your face.'

'Still,' Elphaba insisted. 'I'm not going.'

'Oh, yes, you are.'

'Am not.'

'Are too. Or I won't talk to you again.'

Elphaba snorted, amused. 'I'd like to see that. As if you could resist talking.'

'I could,' Galinda stated, feeling slightly offended. 'And I'm starting it right now.' She took a deep breath and turned away from her roommate, getting out her pink nail polish to take care of her perfectly manicured nails.

Elphaba returned to her book, knowing it wouldn't take the blonde very long, and she turned out to be right. The nail polish hadn't even had a chance to dry yet when Galinda gave up and turned back to her roommate. '_Please_, Elphie? Just for an hour or so? You'd make me so happy, and Fiyero too, I know it!'

Finally, Elphaba closed her book and put it away, sighing. 'All right,' she gave in. 'But only for an hour or so.'

Galinda, of course, squealed, and came over to hug her friend – a bit awkwardly, since she was trying not to let anything touch her still wet nails at the same time. 'Oh, Elphie, you're going to have the most thrillifying time _ever_!'

'I highly doubt that,' Elphaba muttered under her breath as she watched the blonde dance through the room.


	9. Dancing With Brainless Princes

**AN: Hi guys! Here I am, once again... Thanks for reviewing and here's the next chapter - an extremely long one, if I may say so. I have considered splitting it up, but decided against it because (in my opinion) it just works better as one. I personally really liked writing this one (there's a lot of Fiyeraba fluff in it!), also because it's one of the very few chapters in all of my stories that there isn't any drama or disaster or problem in sight (yet) and everyone is just happy :). Makes me happy, too. Yay.**

**So... enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I think we made it clear that I don't own Wicked, so let's just make this a disclaimer for all the future chapters of this story: I. Don't. Own. Wicked.**

* * *

'Sit _still_!' Galinda exclaimed in exasperation. 'Sweet Oz, Elphie, I'm going to tie you down if you don't stop squirming!'

'But you're making me look ridiculous!' Elphaba whined. The blonde girl rolled her eyes. 'You're going to be beautiful. Now sit still and let me finish. I'm almost done!'

'Does that mean I can go in a few minutes?' Elphaba asked in a hopeful tone of voice. Galinda laughed. 'Of course not, silly! By 'almost done', I meant 'almost done with your hair'. Then there's still your make-up, and your clothes, and shoes…'

Elphaba buried her face in her hands and moaned mockingly. 'What have I gotten myself into?'

'A makeover,' Galinda told her cheerfully as she finished curling the last strand of Elphaba's long raven hair. 'There you go. It'll need some more work once you're fully dressed, but that's it for now. On to your make-up!'

Elphaba turned around to face her friend. 'Lin? I had this idea…This spell Morrible taught me the other day. I think I'm going to use it tonight.'

Galinda frowned. 'What spell, Elphie?'

The green girl whispered something in Galinda's ear and the blonde's eyes widened. 'Sweet Oz, Elphie, really?' She squealed. 'That's wonderful!'

'It only lasts one night, though,' Elphaba warned her friend. 'Until midnight.'

The blonde shook her head. 'That doesn't matter! I still think it's a wonderful idea – you should do the spell right now! But hurry up, please, because like I said, I still have to do your make-up and your clothes and a redo of your hair and it's half past six already!'

Elphaba cast her eyes heavenward. 'The dance only starts at eight, Galinda.'

The other girl gasped in shock. 'Two hours!'

Elphaba looked at her in confusion. 'I'm pretty sure that would be one hour and a half, Galinda.'

'We're not arriving at eight, Elphie!' the blonde spluttered. 'We're supposed to make a grand entrance! Half past eight is perfect – fashionably late, but not _too _late.' She glanced at the clock again. 'Oh my Oz, we'll never make it!' she squeaked, panicking. 'All right, Elphie, you do the spell while I go and do my own hair, and then we'll have to hurry, hurry, hurry!' She pushed Elphaba towards her own side of the room and started brushing her blonde curls. Elphaba chuckled softly, but obediently turned around and started rummaging through her books in search for the spell. 'Found it!' she declared triumphantly after a few minutes. Galinda, sitting at her vanity and still busy fidgeting with her hair, stuck her thumb in the air without so much as looking at her roommate. 'Now hurry up, please.'

Elphaba rolled her eyes. She read the words aloud and a green glow surrounded her for the briefest of moments; then the magic disappeared and Elphaba put down the book. 'Well? Did it work?'

Galinda turned around to face her friend and squealed with delight. 'Oh, Elphie! It's perfect! I mean… Not that you weren't perfect before,' she said solemnly. 'Because you were. And beautiful, too. But this is just so… different. Still beautiful, only… well, different.'

Elphaba laughed and glanced briefly in the mirror. 'Different it is,' she agreed. She smiled faintly. 'But you're right. I guess it kind of looks good on me.'

'Looks good?' Galinda squealed. 'Elphie, you're like a _goddess_!'

Another eye roll. 'Now don't exaggerate.'

Galinda giggled. 'Sorry. But hey, are you ready for your make-up?'

Elphaba suppressed a sigh as she went back to Galinda's side of the room and tentatively set herself down on the edge of the pink bed. 'Well, I don't suppose I have a choice, now do I? Even though I think it's incredibly stupid. It's a _masquerade_. We'll be wearing _masks_. No one will see my make-up. Thank Oz, because that also means no one will see these bruises,' she added, picking up Galinda's hand mirror and studying her forehead in it. The stitches were still awfully visible, but her mask would cover them, so it didn't really matter. She was just glad it was a masquerade instead of a regular dance.

Galinda took her time applying make-up to Elphaba's face, mixing different colours and substances together to put on her cheeks, lips and eyelids, and curling her eyelashes, after which she covered them in black mascara. She squealed with delight – again – and started applying her own make-up while Elphaba caressed the soft fabric of her dress with her fingertips. 'Are you sure I should wear this? I don't know, it seems so… overdone. And I'm not sure it'll look good on me. I've never worn such a beautiful dress before…'

'It's not overdone, Elphie,' Galinda told her, looking at her friend via the mirror as she was painting her lips a glossy, shiny pink. 'And you'll look absolutely amazifying in that dress. You tried it on in the store, didn't you? It was wonderful. It's perfect. You'll be the _belle _of the ball.'

Elphaba smiled shyly, gaze still fixed on the dress. 'You really think so?'

'I'm positive,' Galinda assured her friend, pinning a few of her blonde curls back with an orange hair clasp. She got up from her vanity and looked at the dress that was hanging on the door of her closet, ready to be pulled on. She frowned uncertainly. 'Are you sure I should wear this one? I can't even remember the last time I didn't wear pink to a party…'

Elphaba rolled her eyes. 'Orange looks amazing on you, Lin. And besides, your mask is orange too. If you switch to a pink dress, the dress will clash with the mask and we don't want that, now do we?'

Galinda's face brightened. 'Oh my Oz, Elphie, you're so right!' She quickly grabbed the orange dress from the hanger and disappeared into the bathroom. 'I'll be right out!'

Elphaba rolled her eyes once more, but laughed at the same time. Galinda could be brainless and annoying and shallow and sometimes the green girl didn't understand her friend at all, but on the other hand, she didn't know what she would have done without the bubbly blonde. She's been the most amazing friend ever – the only one Elphaba ever had, even, and she was grateful for that.

Elphaba carefully lifted her dress and slid it over her shoulders. It was black, with silver accents here and there, and heavy, but not uncomfortably so; the bodice was very corset-like and hugged her forms, slightly accentuating her curves. The neck dipped into a V that Elphaba thought showed just a little too much, while Galinda insisted it really didn't show quite enough. The sleeves reached just below her elbows, just a small bit of tulle decorating the ends of them, and from the waist down, the skirt gently flowing out from her hips down to where it just touched the floor. Galinda had talked her into wearing heels for just this once – not very high ones, thank Oz, but just high enough so that they fit perfectly with the dress.

'Galinda? Could you help me tie up my dress?' she called through the bathroom door. There were some noises and then Galinda's voice calling back, 'Just a clock-tick!'

She came out with a red face from the efforts of putting on the giant dress. Galinda's dress was orange and also had a form-hugging bodice, but hers was strapless, with tiny gemstones and beads decorating the bodice. Her skirt was extremely poofy, with multiple layers of different kinds of fabric and a one meter trail behind her, and the entire thing was covered in sparkles. It was a very Galinda-like dress and the blonde girl looked beautiful in it.

The blonde tied up Elphaba's dress and went to get the final touch – jewellery. When they were both dressed up to the blonde's satisfaction, Galinda squeezed her friend's hand. 'You look breathtaking, Elphie.'

Elphaba smiled and squeezed back. 'So do you.'

Galinda went to fetch her mask, which was the same colour as her dress, with the same beads and gemstones decorating it, plus some feathers and silver sparkles, and tied it up in front of her face with an orange ribbon. She applied another layer of pink lipstick to her lips and eyed herself critically up and down in the mirror. 'There. I'm all set.'

Elphaba was wearing her own mask now as well – hers also matched her dress, black with lace and silver lining – and Galinda fidgeted some more with Elphaba's long black curls before she declared her friend ready for the masquerade.

Elphaba had promised Fiyero she would come, but she had refused his offer to pick her up; he was being overprotective enough already. Galinda, whose date was a popular and handsome, but also very kind Gillikin boy named Aroon, had agreed to meet him outside around half past eight and so the girls walked towards the gymnasium, where the dance would be, by themselves.

'You should mess with Fiyero,' Galinda said with a big grin while they were walking.

Elphaba quirked an eyebrow. '"Mess with", in what respect exactly?'

Galinda rolled her eyes and whacked her friends arm. 'Not like that! I mean, you should use your new appearance to… tease him.'

'I'm sorry, but that still doesn't sound too appropriate.'

Galinda burst into a fit of hysterical giggles. 'You're right! Oh my Oz, I'm sorry, Elphie, I really didn't mean that!'

'Tell me what you _did _mean then,' the green girl suggested drily, smiling.

Galinda did, and Elphaba liked the idea. She nodded, smiling a bit deviously. 'Galinda, you are positively wicked.'

The blonde smirked. 'I am, aren't I? Oh, hi, dearest!' she squealed suddenly, skipping over towards her date and pecking him on the cheek. He kissed her hand. 'You look stunning.'

She giggled. 'Why, thank you.' She linked arms with him and beckoned for Elphaba to follow. 'Come on, Elphie. Let's go have some fun!'

* * *

Fiyero was waiting for the two girls to arrive, standing a bit to the side and ignoring the very annoying girls that were trying to get his attention, when he caught side of Galinda's blonde curls. She saw him, too, and smiled brightly at him before making her way towards him. 'Fiyero! You look so handsome in a tux,' she said with a wink. He laughed. 'You look amazing yourself, too, Galinda.'

'This is my date, Aroon,' she introduced the boy next to her, who smiled shyly at Fiyero and shook his hand. 'And this is a friend of mine,' Galinda said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. 'She doesn't have a date, so could you take her for a few dances? Elphie isn't here yet anyway.'

Fiyero opened his mouth to ask when Elphaba would arrive, then, but Galinda had already disappeared towards the dance floor with her date. Fiyero closed his mouth and looked at the 'friend' Galinda had been talking about… and his breath caught in his throat. Because this friend of Galinda's must have been the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life – although he couldn't help thinking that she would probably look better with green skin. He smiled to himself, happy that not even a girl this beautiful could get his mind off his girlfriend. It was official: he had it bad.

This girl actually reminded him of Elphaba, he noted suddenly, but of course it couldn't be her; he would have recognised her skin. This girl's skin was a creamy white, not green.

Little did he know that was only because of a simple disguise spell the green girl had learned from Madam Morrible.

Elphaba hid a smile when she saw the stunned look on his face and she curtsied. 'Prince Fiyero.'

'Milady,' he replied, kissing her hand, as he led her down onto the dance floor. It was quite an official ball, with an orchestra playing waltzes and slow dances; luckily, she knew her ballroom dances. As the daughter of the Governor of Munchkinland, she had been taught how to dance when she was a little girl, and though her skills were a bit rusty, she could handle herself quite well on the dance floor. Fiyero, being the prince he was, naturally knew how to dance as well. He took one of her hands in his and positioned the other one at her waist, with her resting her other hand on his shoulder, as they started waltzing.

'I didn't quite catch your name,' Fiyero said after a while. She smiled at him. 'That's probably because I didn't give it to you.'

'So what is it?'

She twirled around in his arms and when he pulled her back towards him, she said lightly, 'Isn't that the purpose of a masquerade? Anonymity?'

He faltered. 'I suppose. But no one here is really anonymous, now are they?'

'Are you saying you recognise everyone here, even now that they are wearing masks?'

'I am.' He looked around and started pointing them out. 'Pfannee. Milla. Avaric. Galinda. Boq. Nessarose…'

'She's in a wheelchair,' Elphaba quipped as he dipped her. 'Anyone could recognise her.'

Fiyero laughed. 'Touché. But I was right about the others.'

She laid her hand back on his shoulder as they swirled around the dance floor, the other couples' faces turning into one big blur. 'All right, so no one is anonymous to you. You recognise everyone here, right?'

'Right.'

'Yet you fail to recognise me.'

He peered into her mischievously twinkling dark eyes and suppressed his frustration. Who _was _this girl? 'It seems that way, doesn't it?'

She laughed, a melodious sound that involuntarily caused his heart to skip a beat. 'I'm not going to tell you. You're going to have to figure it out yourself.'

He dipped her again as the music ended. 'Fair enough.'

He helped her up again and they both curtsied. Galinda fluttered past them and Fiyero caught her hand. 'Lin? Has Elphie arrived yet?'

Galinda and Fiyero's mystery dance partner exchanged an amused glance and the blonde girl shook her head. 'Not yet.'

He sighed, slightly disappointed. On the other hand, he could think of worse ways to spend his time waiting for his girlfriend than to dance with this mysterious young woman. He bowed again. 'Do you care for another dance, milady?'

'Most certainly,' she replied, hiding a smile as she lay her hand in his. They danced again, her skirts twirling as he spun her round and round, and she threw her head in her neck and laughed, happy and completely carefree for just this once.

They shared dance after dance, and although she could almost see Fiyero's mind working as he tried to figure out who she was, she was amused to find that he couldn't look past the disguise spell. He didn't recognise her. She smiled. This had actually been one of Galinda's better ideas. And the blonde had been right about something else, too: she was actually having 'the most thrillifying time _ever_' right now. She reminded herself to thank her blonde friend later.

A slow dance started and she slipped her arms around his neck, a shiver running through her as she felt his warm hands move to her waist. She brought her face closer to his and whispered teasingly, 'So do you like dancing with me?'

'You're a very good dancer,' he replied, skilfully evading the question. The truth was that for some reason, it felt really good to dance with her in his arms, but he wasn't willing to admit that – not even to himself. His heart was with Elphaba, there was no doubt about that. Yet there was something about this girl that caught his attention, and that frightened him slightly. _First, you never fall in love with _any _of the girls you date, and now you're having feelings for two at the same time? _Not the same feelings, not at all, but still. It was strange. He felt as if he had known this girl for ages already, there was something so familiar about her, yet he couldn't decide on what it was, exactly. He sighed in frustration. _What is it about her that entices you so?_

She saw the conflict on his face and smiled wickedly. She brushed her lips against his cheek, feather lightly, as she whispered into his ear, 'How about a kiss?'

He swallowed. 'I'm very sorry, but I, um… I have a girlfriend.'

She tried her hardest not to chuckle at his extremely awkward facial expression. She almost felt sorry for him, but she wasn't quite ready to release him just yet. She was enjoying her little game too much.

Her lips danced across his jaw line, even as he tried to pull away. 'Oh, aren't you the loyal one? I've heard different stories, my prince.'

He gulped again. 'Well… um… yes. I have quite the scandalacious reputation.'

She smiled and stepped a bit closer to him. 'So why won't you kiss me?'

'I've changed,' he replied, in a steady voice this time, smiling as he thought of his girlfriend. 'Because of her. My girlfriend. She's the most amazing person I've ever met.' She blushed at that, but he didn't notice; he took her hands and looked into her eyes solemnly. 'I'm really sorry. You're beautiful, and I like you very much, but we can't be anything more than friends.'

She blushed an even deeper shade of red and rested her head on his shoulder as they swayed to the music together. 'Your girlfriend is a very lucky girl.'

He laughed, relieved that the mysterious girl wasn't flirting with him anymore. 'No way. I'm the lucky one, believe me.'

'Oh no. She is,' she said, tracing the line of his jaw with her index finger. 'And she knows it, too,' she whispered, looking into his beautiful azure eyes. 'Believe me. She knows.'

He was still completely oblivious to her identity. 'You know Elphaba?'

She chuckled softly. 'I guess you could say that, in a certain way, I do.'

His face brightened. 'Really? That's awesome.' His brow furrowed. 'But if you know her, why were you flirting with me in the first place?'

She merely smiled at him meaningfully and again, he felt like he should recognise her. She was so familiar! 'I feel _really _stupid for not recognising you right now,' he confessed and she laughed her deep, melodious laugh. 'You're not,' she said casually as she looked into his eyes. A smirk curled the corners of her lips as she quipped, 'or, well… not _really _stupid, anyway.'

The clock started chiming the midnight hour and they kept dancing, Fiyero oblivious to the meaning of the time, Elphaba eager to see his reaction. He dipped her again and a smile graced her features when the clock announced the final strike and she felt the spell being lifted.

Fiyero's face was priceless. He went from very pale to beet red and back to pale again, his mouth opening and closing a few times like a fish, and he nearly dropped her. '_Elphaba_?!'

She laughed again as she stood up straight again and slipped her arms back around his neck. 'That took you long enough.'

'But… your skin…'

She looked at her formerly normal-coloured arms and smiled. 'Amazing, isn't it? It's a disguise spell Morrible taught me.' She shook her head. 'I can't believe it took you this long to figure it out! Or perhaps 'figure out' isn't even the right term – you don't deserve that much credit, because you didn't figure anything out at all. You really only recognised me now?'

He, too, shook his head, but in amazement. 'I thought you were a lot like Elphaba, but the skin had me absolutely convinced it wasn't you.' He laughed, still a little baffled. 'You really had me there.'

She smiled. 'Good.' She came closer to him and whispered, 'So _now _will you kiss me?'

He flushed as he remembered that he had been rejecting her not too long ago. 'Oh. Sweet Oz. Fae… I'm sorry. If I'd known it was you…'

She put her finger against his lips. 'Don't be sorry. It's good to know your loyalty lies with me – you know, that you wouldn't kiss another girl even if she practically forced herself on you.' She smiled and he cupped her face and looked into her eyes solemnly. 'My loyalty does lie with you. And it always will. My heart is yours, Elphaba. Please believe that.'

Her smile broadened. 'I do.' She kissed the palm of his hand and rest her head against his shoulder.

'You're beautiful,' he whispered in her ear. 'I thought so when I first saw you tonight, not knowing who you were, but now... The fair skin looked good on you, don't get me wrong. But I prefer the green.'

She lifted her head from his shoulder to shoot him a sceptic look. 'You can't possibly mean that.'

'I do,' he told her solemnly. 'You are the most beautiful girl in this room tonight, Fae. You're taking my breath away every time I look at you.'

She blushed and he kissed her knuckles. The orchestra started another waltz and he bowed before her. She curtsied in reply. 'Miss Elphaba Thropp of Munchkinland,' he said, eyes twinkling mischievously. 'May I have this dance?'

'You most certainly may,' she replied, smiling, laying her hand in his. He pulled her close and they started dancing again. Neither one of them really noticed their environment anymore; they were lost in each other's eyes as they danced, Elphaba's black skirts swirling around them both as they whirled across the dance floor, with a grace and passion the other couples couldn't even remotely compare to. It wasn't long before nearly everyone was watching them in awe, the green girl and the Winkie prince, as he spun her around again and again and again, until she was dizzy and breathless. He pulled her back to him and she nearly crashed against his chest, panting and laughing at the same time, as they moved along. When the waltz ended, he bowed and she curtsied again, smiles gracing both their lips. It was only when Galinda, soon followed by most of the rest of the student population, started clapping and cheering for them, that they realised everyone had been watching them. Elphaba blushed again, but Fiyero merely smiled and pulled her close again for a slow dance. The students went back to their own business now and he smiled down at her. 'So… are you having a good time so far?'

'The best,' she sighed in utter contentment, and his smile broadened. He pulled her even closer and rested his chin on the top of her head. 'I'm glad.'

'You know what would make tonight even better?' she asked from where her cheek was resting against his chest. He pulled back a little to look at her. 'What?'

She gave him a sweet and innocent smile, eyes dancing as she bent closer to him. 'You still owe me that kiss.'

'I do, don't I?' he murmured, smiling, as he looked down at her and bent to brush his lips against hers in a soft, sweet kiss. She had other plans, however; she wound her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his, deepening the kiss. He responded to her almost instinctively and he only pulled away after a while because he feared he would do something _very_ inappropriate if he didn't. 'I'm sorry.'

She trailed her finger down his chest, causing him to shiver with pleasure. 'For what?'

'For…' She looked up at him with those beautiful chocolate brown eyes and he completely forgot what he had been about to say. 'Do you want to, um… go?'

She nodded, eyes still locked with his. He took her hand in his and guided her through the crowd towards the exit. She shivered slightly at the cold night air and he wrapped one arm around her waist. 'Shall I walk you back to your dorm?'

She shook her head and looked up at him with an unreadable expression in her dark eyes. 'Why don't you walk me to _your_ dorm?'

He knew she wasn't suggesting what it seemed like she was suggesting, but he didn't really care. He nodded and they walked towards his room in silence. He opened the door and swung it open. 'My home. For now, at least.'

He had a private suite, about as big as hers and Galinda's and about just as fancy. She took off her mask and her shoes, putting down the former on a small table and kicking the latter in a corner. Then she looked around and noticed a shelf with books. She trailed a finger along the covers and smiled. 'I knew you weren't as empty-headed as you pretended to be.'

He saw what she was doing and laughed. 'Don't tell anyone. It'd ruin my reputation.' He hesitated for a moment. 'Do you want to… um… you know… stay over?'

She nodded shyly. 'If that's all right with you… yes, please.'

'Of course. That's fine.' He threw his tie on his desk – 'Stupid thing,' she heard him mutter under his breath – and draped his jacket over a chair before taking off his shirt as well and dumping it in a laundry basket. 'I'll go change in the bathroom, okay? You can change when I'm done – if you don't mind sleeping in a shirt of mine, that is.'

She smiled. 'That's fine.'

He nodded and disappeared into the bathroom and she continued to explore his room. It wasn't too special, really; there were books, both for relaxing and educational purposes, lying here and there; clothes were scattered across the room, his bed wasn't made and his desk was a mess, but she supposed that was to be expected from a boy. Especially a prince. She suddenly discovered a small, soft teddy bear near his pillow and she picked it up, a grin appearing on her face. When he emerged from the bathroom, she held up the teddy bear. 'Are you cheating on me?'

He grimaced, face flushing a little with embarrassment. 'Um… That's, um…'

She laughed at his awkwardness. 'Oh, come on. Don't be ashamed. I think it's kind of cute that you still sleep with a teddy bear.'

His blush deepened. 'Sweet Oz, this is embarrassing.'

'Oh, no, it's not,' she giggled, handing him the teddy bear as she brushed past him and sang, 'I'm going to change now!'

When she came out again, he was sitting on the edge of his bed, playing with the teddy bear, lost in thought. He looked up and smiled, however, when she entered. 'You know? That looks good on you.'

'Shut up,' she grumbled, dressed in a very oversized shirt of his. She didn't really mind, though; she rather liked it, actually. The shirt smelled like him. Even though she would never admit that, of course.

He rose from the bed and gestured towards it. 'Your royal bed is ready, milady.'

'Why, thank you,' she played a long, nodding her head at him before crawling into the bed. She watched as he walked towards the closet and pulled out some extra blankets. Her brow furrowed. 'What are you doing?'

'Sleeping on the couch,' he replied, tugging the blankets behind him. She shook her head. 'Don't be ridiculous. This is your room. If anyone deserves to sleep in the bed, it's you.' She blushed a little. 'Besides… I wouldn't mind sharing.'

He looked at her observantly. 'Are you sure?'

She nodded, and he crawled into the bed beside her. 'Very well then.' She turned to lie on her side, facing him. 'I could get used to this.'

'Me, too,' he replied with a content sigh. She started tracing the pattern of blue diamonds on his chest with her index finger, causing him to shiver. 'They're beautiful,' she commented softly.

'Not as beautiful as you are,' he replied, kissing her fingers. She snuggled closer to him and his eyes widened. 'Oz, Fae, you're freezing!'

She huffed. 'You try walking ten minutes in the freezing cold in a gown like that. At least the men get to wear jackets.'

He chuckled softly at that, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer in order to get her warm. She marvelled in the heat radiating from his body, resting her cheek against his chest and listening to his heartbeat.

He closed his eyes. 'I love you.'

She still couldn't bring herself to say it back, but he didn't mind. She kissed the diamonds on his chest and then captured his lips in a passionate, enticing kiss. He responded to her immediately and they kissed each other fervently, heatedly, for the next ten minutes before she pulled away slightly, trying to catch her breath as she wiped a strand of tangled hair from her face. 'Yero?'

'Yes?' he breathed.

She looked a little insecure. 'Do you suppose we could…' She didn't finish her sentence, but her body language made it clear what it was that she wanted and his eyes widened. 'Fae…'

'I want you, Yero,' she whispered softly. 'You're the only one for me, I'm absolutely sure of that. There will never be anyone else.'

'But…'

'You love me, don't you?'

He nodded fervently. 'Of course I do.'

'Will you love me forever?'

He kissed her lips. 'I will love you for far longer than forever.'

She looked into his eyes solemnly. 'Then this is what I want.'

He searched her eyes for any trace of doubt, but found none, and so he nodded. 'Okay. If you're sure about this…'

'I'm sure.' She kissed him again and he kissed her back, forgetting everything around him. They delved into each other, skin pressed against skin, hands roaming, lips touching in fervent kisses as their limbs entwined, and nothing mattered anymore.

She hadn't thought it possible, but this perfect night, the best night of her life, had just gotten even better.


	10. Letters And Boredom

**AN: And another one! Drama is about to kick in next chapter and I really want to write that, so I'm pretty quick on the updates right now :). Because no, it's not just happy fluff and a happily ever after for Fiyero and Elphaba... not yet, anyway. Drama first.**

* * *

'Fiyero! Could you _please _stop sucking off Elphie's face for a moment so that other people can say goodbye to her, too?'

Fiyero pulled back, flushing slightly, and Elphaba giggled. 'Sorry, Lin.'

'That's okay.' She patted Elphaba's back. 'But I'm not going to see you for _four weeks_ and so I think I should have the chance to give you a giant big goodbye hug, don't you think so?'

Elphaba's eyes widened in mock shock and she stepped back, but Galinda merely giggled and threw her arms around her roommate. 'Oh, Elphie! Lurlinemas will _suck _without you!'

The green girl rolled her eyes. 'Now don't be overdramatic. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time with your friends and family back in Gillikin, Galinda.'

The blonde sniffed. 'But it would have been so much wonderfuller with you there!'

'More wonderful,' Elphaba corrected her friend, and Galinda glared at her. 'All right, perhaps I won't miss you that much after all.'

Elphaba laughed and the two girls hugged again. Nessa took her turn saying goodbye to Galinda, which gave Elphaba some more time to do the same thing with Fiyero.

'I'll write,' he promised. 'As much as I can.'

She smiled. 'I'll write, too. And it's only four weeks, right?'

'Only four weeks,' he agreed. They looked at each other and sighed simultaneously.

'Four weeks is like forever.'

'It's enough time for you to fall in love with some beautiful Vinkun girl and forget about me.'

He tilted her head and forced her to look at him. 'Hey. That's never going to happen, all right? Promise. You're the only one and you always will be.'

She gave him a watery smile and suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his chest. 'I'll miss you so much,' she whispered, trying her hardest not to cry.

Fiyero's eyes were suspiciously misty, too, as he held her and stroked her hair. 'I'll miss you, too. But we'll write, and we'll see each other again… and for the summer, I _insist _you're coming to the Vinkus with me,' he added. 'Four weeks is way too long, but a three month summer break is just not manageable anymore.'

She let out a sound that was something between a sob and a laugh. 'I'll try my hardest to persuade my father to let me stay with you over the summer,' she promised.

'I love you.'

She kissed him in reply; then she took her suitcase and boarded the carriage. Nessa and Boq - the latter would be escorting the girls since he lived not too far away from the Governor's house - were already inside and both gave her sympathetic looks. The carriage started moving and she stared out of the window, one hand pressed against the glass. She smiled faintly as he started running along until he could no longer keep up with the carriage; then he settled for waving, and she waved back. She kept looking until he was out of sight, and then she sighed and leaned back.

This was going to be the longest month of her life.

* * *

The carriage ride was long and boring, with Nessa and Boq chatting most of the time about all kinds of subjects – how they thought their exams had gone, how they were going to spend Lurlinemas, how excited they were to go home. Elphaba alternated between staring out of the window without really seeing anything and reading a book, occasionally commenting on Nessa's and Boq's conversation. The two of them sat close together, with Nessa smiling up adoringly at him all the time, and Elphaba couldn't help but be a little jealous. Here they were, getting to spend the holidays together with not just their families, but with each other as well. She hated herself for being so cheesy and overdramatic, but she had to admit she missed Fiyero already. _And it hasn't even been a day yet_.

She was dreading these four weeks. She had always been able to put up with Frex's behaviour towards her because she had felt like she deserved it, for killing her mother and disabling Nessa, and also simply because she hadn't known any better. Now, however, things were different. _She _was different. She smiled faintly. She knew she had been changed for the better, because of both Fiyero's and Galinda's love towards her, but she also knew that that fact would make her stay here in Munchkinland, where no one _really _cared for her, even harder.

She suppressed a sigh when the carriage pulled over and she saw her father emerge from the house, clearly eager to see his favourite youngest daughter again. As Boq and a servant helped Nessa out of the carriage, she left it too, to retrieve their luggage. Her father didn't even spare her a glance as she hauled the large bags inside; he was too engrossed in Nessa to be paying his other daughter any attention.

No matter how much she had feared coming home, she was surprised at how easily she fell back into her old rhythm. She knew what her father expected from her, she knew what to do in order to avoid him punishing her, and so that was exactly what she did. She got up early every morning to stoke up the fireplace, cook breakfast and set the table. While her father and Nessa would be having breakfast at the dinner table in the dining-room, she herself would have her own breakfast in the kitchen with the other servants. She would then spend the entire morning cleaning the house, throwing open windows to ventilate the rooms and airing the linen. She would remake the beds and hurry back downstairs to start preparing lunch, which passed quite similarly to breakfast. She would clean the windows, beat out the carpets, scrub the floors, dust the furniture and polish the silver, take care of the garden, and bake pies, cakes and biscuits when she had some time to spare. Every evening she would be sent to her room early, where she would write letters to both Galinda and Fiyero and read her book by candlelight until she fell asleep from pure exhaustion. It wasn't nice and she wasn't happy, but at least it was a daily rhythm that distracted her from her thoughts about Fiyero – thoughts that made her ache inside because she simply missed him so much.

The nicest days were those when Nessa would decide she wanted to go out. Elphaba, being her sister's primary caretaker, was always expected to join the wheelchair-bound girl, wherever she went. She didn't mind that in the least, though; she liked spending time outside the house. When Nessa found out about this, she requested to go out more often, as a favour to her sister, which Elphaba greatly appreciated. Boq would usually join them to wherever it was they were going - the park, the movies, the library, or just for a walk through town, and Elphaba could see how much both Boq and Nessa enjoyed each other's company. It made her own heartache worse, but she was happy that her little sister had found someone to love, someone who loved her back. Nessa was a sweet girl, but most people couldn't see past the wheelchair. She deserved to be happy.

Another interesting development was the close friendship that started developing between Boq and Elphaba. They had sort of been in the same small circle of friends, consisting of the two of them plus Galinda, Nessa and Fiyero, but they had never been particularly close. Now that they spent so much time together, however, both fussing over Nessa, they started talking about all kinds of things and discovered they had quite a few common interests. Nessa was all too happy with this new development. She loved her sister and she loved Boq, and she wanted the two of them to get along – especially since she could really picture her future together with this boy. Elphaba's blessing meant a lot to her.

Most of the four week break thus passed without noticeable incidents. One day, Elphaba and Boq took Nessa to the park, to feed the ducks and watch the smaller children play. Nessa watched them with a sad smile. 'I always felt jealous of the other kids when I saw them play like that.'

Elphaba and Boq exchanged a glance and Elphaba said softly, 'I'm sorry, Nessa.'

Her sister looked up at her in surprise. 'What on earth for, Fabala?'

The green girl chewed her lip and lowered her eyes. 'For being born.'

'Stop it,' Nessa said gently, laying a hand on Elphaba's arm. 'I know father's been telling you that what happened to me and mother was your fault, but it's not. How could you even help being born in the first place? Fabala…' She waited for her sister to look her in the eye before she continued. 'I don't blame you for anything, because there's nothing you are to blame for. And you shouldn't blame yourself.'

Boq put his hand on Elphaba's shoulder. 'She's right, Elphaba. None of it was your fault.'

'I beg to differ,' Elphaba said quietly. She managed a small smile at her sister and her friend. 'But thank you.'

Nessa, meanwhile, was studying her sister curiously. 'Fabala?'

'Yes, Nessie?'

'I know it's winter time, but this is Munchkinland. It isn't cold here.'

'I'm aware of the climate, here, Nessie,' Elphaba replied with just the tiniest bit of good-natured sarcasm. Nessa, however, shook her head. 'Then why are you wearing long sleeves while everyone else even thinks _short_ sleeves are too hot?'

Elphaba shrugged. 'What does it matter?'

Her sister wasn't fooled so easily, though. She narrowed her eyes at the green girl in suspicion. 'Fabala?'

Elphaba avoided her gaze and that was all Nessa needed to know. 'Take off that jacket.'

Elphaba spluttered, but the younger girl insisted. 'Take it off or I'll take it off for you.'

Her sister finally gave in and, with a sigh, took off the jacket. Nessarose's eyes widened at the sight of the multiple bruises that disfigured her sister's bare arms, neck, and upper back. 'Sweet Oz, Fabala… Did father…'

Elphaba nodded reluctantly. 'After Lurlinemas dinner last week,' she elaborated softly. 'He had told me to stay away from his guests, to not let them see me, and I tried to. But when I went to get some more wine from the cellar outside and came back, one of his guests practically ran into me and then asked me where the bathroom was. Father caught me talking to him.'

'He beat you like _this _because you were talking to a _guest _of his?' Boq demanded, and Elphaba looked up at him with a resigned look on her face. 'It's not important. Forget it.'

Nessa shook her head gently. 'I'm going to talk to him about this.'

Elphaba immediately kneeled in front of the chair and took Nessa's hands, looking into her sister's eyes pleadingly. 'Please don't talk to him, Nessie! It won't do any good!'

'But he _listens _to me!' Nessarose insisted, feeling bad for her sister. She couldn't let her own father do this to Elphaba, now could she? It had been going on for too long already, but every time Nessa wanted to talk to him about it, Elphaba begged her not to.

'He won't,' Elphaba said quietly. 'Not about this. If anything, it'll only make things worse because he'll think I talked you into defending me! Please, Nessie… Promise me not to tell father.'

The younger girl reluctantly agreed. 'I promise.'

Elphaba hugged her sister. 'Thank you.'

* * *

_My dearest, darlingest, amazing, wonderful, beautiful, incredible Fae,_

_Only five more days to go! I've been counting every long, painful one of them, crossing the dates on my calendar, waiting impatiently for the day to arrive where I can go back to Shiz and see you again. I don't think anyone has ever imagined me looking forward to going back to school – you've definitely been corrupting me. Speaking of which; I passed my exams. I know. Isn't that great? I can't even remember the last time I passed every single one of my exams. Your tutoring me has paid off! (Even though there have been many things going on during those tutoring sessions that didn't have anything to do at all with studying… _ _)_

_Things here have been rather boring, even though it was nice to have the entire family together for Lurlinemas. My uncle Jerro and his wife even came over from the Emerald City. I asked them if I could bring you there once, and they were thrillified at the mere idea, so you know what that means… We're going to plan a nice weekend in the Emerald City once we are back at Shiz! _

_Uncle Kor and Aunt Mimika were there, too, along with Paro, who in turn had invited Laoyar and Moss, so we were all back together. It was nice to see them again, and my Mom really made something of the holidays, but still, I missed you. I wish you could have been there. _

_And so here I am now, 'moping around' as my friends call it. They can't wait to meet the girl that got me thinking, for they didn't think that would ever happen at all; and when they heard you had made me _study_, too, they nearly fainted. I really hope you can make it over here for the summer. That would be so wonderful!_

_Anyway, how are you? Have you passed your exams, too? (Of course you have.) And are things going well with Boq and Nessa?_

_I sincerely hope you're not having a too awful time there in Munchkinland, even though I have to admit, I was shocked when I read about the chores your father makes you do. I understand that not all of us are royalty and have servants to do those things for them, but this sounds like you are actually one of the servants. Is that how your father treats you? I know you don't want me to worry, but you would tell me if something happened with your father, wouldn't you, Fae? Like, if he beat you again or something like that? If you don't tell me the truth, I feel obliged to mount my noble steed right now and storm off to Munchkinland to come and save (or as you would probably put it, kidnap) you. You've been warned._

_I'm so happy this vacation is almost over. Five days and counting!_

_All my love,_

_Fiyero_

* * *

_Dear Yero,_

_First of all: you're an idiot. And I refuse to address you as 'my dearest, darlingest, amazing, wonderful, beautiful (or would that be handsome?), incredible Yero'. True as it may be, my fingers cramp if I have to write that down every time I write you a letter. I secretly like the 'my' part, though. I love being yours._

_With that settled, I want to let you know that I miss you, too. Things have been rather uneventful here; since our family merely consists of my father, Nessa and myself, we haven't had many people staying over. Father invited some guests over for Lurlinemas dinner and he got Nessa some presents, but for the rest of the holidays, he has been locked inside his study and left us to our own business. Nessa, Boq and I go out a lot – it's nice to have them with me. They distract me somewhat from thinking about you all the time, even though you never really seem to leave my mind._

_I have passed my exams, too, 'of course', as you put it, and so have Boq and Nessa. The two of them are fine, by the way. They're still madly in love, spending as much time as they can together, and they're touching, kissing or cuddling constantly, which is just a little bit annoying. (Fine, it's only annoying because it makes me think of you and how much I miss you and I wish you were here. I'll admit that. Happy now?)_

_Tomorrow Boq and I are going to take Nessa to town. We're going to have lunch together and then see a movie. A romantic one, as Nessa insisted. I suppose I'll just sneak a book in there. I'm not really one for romantic movies (shocking, right?) and especially not now, with you so far away. But I suppose it will be fun anyway. Anything is better than just sitting around here, thinking about you. Luckily, my chores distract me from that as well._

_Of course I'd tell you if there was anything going on with my father. Nothing's happened. Stop worrying so much._

_Five days and counting. I'm really looking forward to seeing you again!_

_Yours always,_

_Elphaba_

She felt a little bad for lying to Fiyero about her father, but she figured there was nothing he could do about it, anyway, and she didn't want him to worry about her. She smiled as she re-read his last letter. He had kept his promise to write her, every other day at the least, and she kept all his letters in a box beside her bed. Every time a letter with a Vinkun stamp arrived with the mail, her heart leapt and his letters always made her smile. She couldn't wait to see him again. No matter how busy she had kept herself in the past few weeks, it had felt like forever since she had last seen him and Galinda.

The bubbly blonde had been writing, too – mainly about how overjoyed she was to be with her family again, the parties she had attended and the dresses she had been wearing to those parties. Apparently, she had ordered another dozen or so dresses to be delivered at Shiz for spring, and she had bought Elphaba some dresses, too. _Consider them a gift,_ Galinda had written in her last letter. _Because you're my friend, and I love you, and because you could use a few dresses that don't look like shapeless refuse sacks – no offense, Elphie, but most of yours do. And I proved to be considerate of your taste when picking dresses, didn't I? I picked your gown for the masquerade, and you looked simply amazifying in that! So don't worry, please – they're not pink, they don't have ruffles or sparkles, but they are stylish nonetheless. You can thank me later!_

'Elphaba?' her father called from his study. She quickly put the letter back in the box and hurried down the stairs. 'Yes, father?'

He didn't even look up from his work as he addressed her. 'I know you and Boq are taking Nessa to town tomorrow. Please keep an eye on your sister and that Munchkin boy. I know my dear Nessarose is a good girl and that she would never disgrace me, but I don't trust them to be alone together.'

'I won't leave them alone together, father.'

'Good. Now get me some coffee and disappear from my sight. I'm having the Ambassador of Gillikin over for dinner tonight and I won't have the sight of you causing him to lose his appetite. Make dinner, go upstairs and stay in your room. Try not to let anyone see you this time, or you will be punished for your disobedience.'

She curtsied. 'Yes, father.' Then she left the room, secretly enjoying the fact that she would have the entire evening to herself.

* * *

**Pwease review!**


	11. Destroying Dreams

**AN: Just want to take a moment to tell you guys that I love you. Really. I have such wonderful readers (and reviewers) :). Thank you so much, you're all so sweet!**

**All I have to say about this chapter is: 'oh, the drama...' **

**Plus: 'please don't kill me'. **

**I seem to be begging for my life a lot lately, right? I just _really _enjoy upsetting you :D. Because I'm a bit sadistic, and because it makes you review even more :3. And your reactions are funny. Sorry. :P**

**Disclaimer: I put up a general disclaimer for this story, didn't I? I forgot :3 so I still don't own Wicked. Shocking.**

* * *

Nessa and Boq were chatting and cuddling all the way through the carriage ride to town, causing Elphaba to feel slightly nauseous. Eventually, she just sighed and settled for staring out the window, wishing she had brought a book with her. Nessa fortunately noticed this and broke away from Boq, awkwardly clearing her throat. 'So, Fabala… Have you been writing to Fiyero and Galinda?'

Elphaba smiled. 'Of course I have. They are both having a wonderful time with their families.'

'Even Fiyero?' Nessa prodded, giggling girlishly, and Elphaba good-naturedly rolled her eyes at her sister. 'Yes, even Fiyero, though he insists he misses me very much and wishes I could be there with him.'

'Aw!' Nessa exclaimed, clapping her hands and looking at Boq adoringly. 'Oh, I can't even imagine being away from you for four weeks!'

'Thank Oz that's not going to happen,' he replied, kissing her. Nessa kissed him back until she realised why she had attempted to start a conversation with Elphaba in the first place and she blushed. 'Oh, I'm sorry, Fabala. I really don't mean to rub it in your face.'

Elphaba chuckled. 'I know, Nessie. It's okay. If Fiyero had been here with me, I guess I would have been doing the exact same thing.'

Nessa giggled again. 'Oh, did things work out between Galinda and that Gillikin boy that took her to the masquerade at Shiz? What was his name… Aroon? They looked very cute together.'

Elphaba made a face. 'They did, and I thought he would be perfect for her – you know, not just being kind and gentleman-like, but also having a _brain_,' they all laughed at that, 'but Galinda thought he was too boring. According to her letters, she has been dating three other boys back in Gillikin in the past few weeks, none of those being serious because she couldn't _possibly _have a relationship with a boy living in Gillikin while she would be stuck at Shiz for another three and a half years.'

Boq laughed at that. 'Of _course _not. How could we even think such a thing.'

Elphaba smirked. 'She's not really one for the long-distance relationships, no. I just hope she'll settle down eventually.'

'I'm sure she will,' Nessa said. 'She just needs to find the right one for her.' She peered out of the window. 'I believe we're almost there. Oh, I can't wait! I haven't been to the movies in years.'

'Me, neither,' Boq said. 'I've really been looking forward to…'

He was interrupted by a loud _bang _and a sudden jolt that threw them all off their seats. Nessa screamed as the carriage started to tilt over, jolting and rocking dangerously, until gravity won the battle and it fell over, flinging them all around until the carriage finally came slipping to a halt.

Elphaba, who had been flung out of the carriage in the process, immediately scrambled to her feet. 'Nessa!'

'I'm fine!' the younger girl called, a slight tremble in her voice. She cleared her throat and tried again. 'Boq?'

'I'm fine, too,' he said, also getting to his feet. Elphaba joined him and together, they helped Nessa sit up.

The driver came running towards them, eyes nearly bulging out of his head. 'Oh my Oz, Miss Nessarose! Miss Elphaba, I'm so sorry! There was a boulder on the road, and I didn't see it, and then the wheel broke and…' His voice trailed away as he stared at them in horror. 'Are you all right?'

Elphaba looked at her younger sister. 'Are you, Nessa? Boq?'

Nessa nodded. 'Just a little scared is all.'

Boq nodded, too, but Elphaba looked at him in concern. 'You're bleeding.' She pointed at his head and he brought up his hand, wincing as he indeed felt a sharp sting when he touched his skin. When he pulled his hand back, his fingers were sticky with blood. 'Ouch.'

'Boq!' Nessa gasped, but he was quick to reassure her. 'I'm fine. It doesn't hurt that much.'

'Oh my Oz,' the driver breathed, raking his trembling hands through his hair. 'What should I do? What have I done? Oh, the Governor will kill me…'

Elphaba put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 'No one is hurt badly. It'll be fine, okay? We just need to get Boq and Nessa to a hospital, to have them checked up on.' She looked down when she felt something warm trickle down her arm and grimaced. 'And apparently, me, too.'

Nessa's eyes widened. 'Oh, Elphaba, are you all right?'

'It's just a scratch,' Elphaba assured her sister. She shot a look at the driver, who got the message and nodded quickly. 'I'll go get some help!'

Since they were near town already, they only had to wait a few minutes before the driver returned with another man driving a carriage. They helped the sisters and Boq into the new carriage, transferred the wheelchair, and rode off to town, stopping in front of the hospital. They were all taken in immediately for examination, while their driver sent word to Frex about the accident.

* * *

Elphaba, Boq and Nessa were all sitting in an examination room when a doctor came in. Elphaba's worried look immediately changed to a relieved one when she recognised the older man walking into the room. 'Doctor Dandaron!' He had been the Thropp's family doctor for years before he had gotten a job at the hospital, and the sisters were very much acquainted with him. He was one of the few people who had ever looked past Elphaba's skin and she liked him a lot.

The doctor smiled broadly at the sight of them. 'Miss Elphaba, Miss Nessarose, how nice to see you again! I haven't seen you in years – how are you?'

'Hurt,' Nessa said drily, pointing towards Elphaba's still bleeding arm and Boq's head wound, and the doctor nodded quickly. 'Of course. I'm just going to do a quick examination on the three of you – we can chat later. What's your name, young man?'

'Boq Parlone,' he answered. 'I've already sent a messenger to my home. My parents should be here soon.'

Doctor Dandaron nodded and looked at the girls. 'And your father?'

'He could be here any minute,' Nessa replied, and the doctor nodded again. 'All right, then. Let's take a look at you, shall we?'

It only took him a few minutes to declare Nessa completely fine. Elphaba was, too, besides her arm – which didn't even need stitches, so Doctor Dandaron quickly bandaged it up – and Boq had a slight concussion. He did need stitches and the doctor ordered him sternly to rest for at least another week.

'But we're supposed to return to Shiz in two days!' Boq protested. Doctor Dandaron gave him a stern look. 'You can't, Master Parlone,' he told the young man. 'You're going to have to rest for at least a week, and I won't allow you to travel for another one. Two weeks from now, that's the best I can give you.'

Boq sulked about that and Nessa patted his arm comfortingly. 'Boq, if Doctor Dandaron says so, you need to obey him. I'll be fine on my own for two weeks – Elphaba, Galinda and Fiyero will be there, too.'

The doctor smiled, then remembered something. 'Master Parlone and Miss Elphaba, I'm going to need to do a blood test on the two of you,' he told them. 'You both got open wounds and we need to make sure no filth got into them, or you could get very unpleasant infections. Don't worry, I'll just draw a little blood – that's all. I'm going to keep you here until I get the results back, and if everything looks good, you are free to go, Miss Elphaba.'

'And me?' Boq prodded. Doctor Dandaron looked at him over his glasses. 'I'm going to keep you here for one night, just to make sure.'

Boq started to protest, but again, Nessa silenced him. 'Hush. He's right. Stop protesting and listen to him.'

Elphaba smiled wryly at her sister's authoritative look and Boq glared at the green girl for a moment before giving in with a deep sigh. 'Fine.'

The doctor took some blood from them and promised to be back later, before leaving them alone in the examination room. Elphaba looked at her sister. 'Are you sure you're all right?'

'You heard Doctor Dandaroon, Fabala,' Nessa replied, slightly exasperated. 'I'm _fine_.'

'Okay. Just checking.'

They waited in silence for some time. Suddenly, there was some commotion in the hallway and moments later, Frex stormed in, looking bewildered. He didn't even glance at Elphaba, merely pushed her out of the way, and hurried over to Nessa, kneeling besides her chair. 'Nessarose, my precious girl, are you all right?'

Nessa smiled at him. 'Yes, father. I'm completely fine, just a little shaken.'

He hugged her. 'Thank Oz,' he muttered. 'I was so scared you were hurt.'

Nessa shook her head. 'Elphaba, however…'

'Oh, young Master Boq,' Frex interrupted, looking at the Munchkin boy. 'Thank you for making sure my precious Nessa got to the hospital so quickly.'

'Actually, it was Elphaba…' he started, but the green girl nudged him with her elbow and shook her head. 'Don't bother,' she whispered. Boq wanted to protest, but anyone with eyes could see that Frex really didn't care one bit for the green girl and so he kept his mouth shut, but he didn't think it fair at all. How could a father not love his child?

'Governor Thropp,' Doctor Dandaron greeted the older man when he came back into the room. Frex nodded curtly. 'Dandaron. Are you sure my Nessa is fine?'

The doctor nodded confidently. 'Absolutely, sir. You can take her home right away, if you want to.'

'What about Elphaba?' Nessa asked. 'And Boq? Are the results back yet?'

Doctor Dandaron nodded again. 'Yes, I have them right here. And Master Parlone, your parents have arrived, too. Shall I call them inside?'

'Sure,' Boq said and moments later, his parents were flinging themselves at him, his mother hugging him and planting kisses on him everywhere. 'We came as soon as we heard about the accident! Are you all right?'

Boq rolled his eyes. '_Fine_.'

The doctor quickly explained the situation to Boq's parents and they nodded gravely. 'I'm going to keep him here for one night, but since his blood results came back clean, he can go home after that,' he said, and Mr. and Mrs. Parlone looked utterly relieved. A nurse came in to take Boq to a room and his parents left with him, leaving the Thropp family alone with Doctor Dandaron in the examination room.

'What about Elphaba?' Nessa prodded, feeling slightly apprehensive for no real reason. 'Are her blood results clean, too?'

Doctor Dandaron hesitated, which sent shivers down Nessa's spine. Elphaba narrowed her eyes at him. 'What is it? Am I sick?'

He quickly shook his head. 'No, no, there's no infection to be found, but there's something else.' He smiled broadly, and Nessa felt reassured for just a clock-tick, before he said his next words and she tensed up again immediately. 'Congratulotions, Miss Elphaba! You're pregnant!'

She stared at him. 'I'm _what_?'

'You're pregnant,' Doctor Dandaron almost sang, not noticing the suddenly very tense atmosphere in the room. 'About six weeks by now.' He rambled on about if for a while, but Elphaba didn't hear him anymore. All she could think was, S_ix weeks. The masquerade… _Followed by a few moments of inwardly cursing herself.

Her second thought was, _Father is going to kill me_.

'That only proves how long we haven't seen each other, doesn't it?' Doctor Dandaron went on, cheerfully, completely oblivious. 'I didn't even know you were married!'

'She's not,' Frex hissed, and only then did the full gravity of the situation sink in. The doctor stared at him, then at Elphaba. 'Oh. I'm… I'm sorry. I just assumed…'

'Give us a moment, please,' Frex asked the doctor in a deceivingly calm manner. The poor man hesitated, but nodded and left the room quickly. Elphaba didn't even have the time to wince before Frex grabbed a handful of hair and started shaking her. 'How _could _you! As if you haven't brought enough disgrace on our family already! Did you have to play the slut? Do you even know who the father is or have you been sleeping around with so many boys you don't even have the faintest clue?'

'Father!' Nessa protested, shocked, but her father would have none of it.

'Do not interfere, Nessarose!' Frex roared as he struck Elphaba across the face. 'This is between your whore of a sister and me!'

'I know who the father is!' Elphaba cried. 'He's been my boyfriend for four months!'

Frex shook his head angrily. 'That doesn't change anything. Oz, haven't you learned anything from me at all? How could you do this to me? Your sister? What will people think of us now? Now you're not only green, you're _pregnant _as well – out of wedlock!'

'Fiyero will marry me if I tell him,' she protested weakly, but her father's eyes only widened even more. 'Fiyero? Fiyero Tiggular, the Winkie prince? _That's _who you've been dating? He would never marry you! He's a party animal, he drinks and he sleeps around with any girl he can get! If he has ever shown any interest in you at all, it was only to get you to sleep with him, I'm sure!'

'It wasn't!' Elphaba shouted, jumping up. 'He loves me!'

He struck her so hard she fell back against the wall. 'He loves you! Wake up, girl! No one could _ever _love you – no one! I won't hear another _word _about this!' He stomped out of the room and called for Doctor Dandaron. 'Dandaron!'

'Governor Thropp,' the man replied, slightly apprehensive. He had heard the screaming from the room and he was worried about the Governor's next actions, but he couldn't afford to anger the older man – Frex had too much influence in Munchkinland. 'I understand this is a rather delicate and difficult situation, but there are solutions, sir, if I may be so bold. If the boy would agree to marry your daughter…'

'No,' Frex said flatly. 'She will not marry him.' He looked at Doctor Dandaron with ice-cold eyes. 'Is it too late to terminate the pregnancy?'

Elphaba gasped and Nessa cried in horror, 'Father! No!' She didn't approve of her sister's actions, not at all – Elphaba had sinned, after all… But a baby, no matter how small, was life, too, and she couldn't believe her father would just end a life without so much as blinking his eyes.

Doctor Dandaron hesitated, feeling sourly tempted to lie, but as a doctor, it was his duty to inform his patients and their families truthfully. 'No, sir, it's not,' he admitted. 'But I strongly advise against it. It is a very dangerous procedure, with a reasonable risk at Elphaba losing her life in the process, or afterwards, because of complications… Surely there are safer and easier options for you…'

'I don't care,' Frex said in a cold tone of voice. 'I don't even care if she does die in the process. Perhaps that would even be best for all of us – at least the disgrace would be gone from our family.'

Elphaba didn't flinch, merely stared at him with all the hatred she was feeling displayed in her eyes, but Nessa and Doctor Dandaron were completely shocked. 'Father… you don't mean that,' Nessa whispered, but she knew he did. Frex looked at the doctor. 'How long will she have to stay for the procedure?'

'I… I can schedule it tomorrow morning,' Doctor Dandaron replied, baffled. 'She'll have to stay for the day and the following night, if everything goes well…'

Frex nodded curtly. 'Fine. Do it.'

'But father…'

'Don't defy me, Nessarose,' Frex warned his youngest daughter. 'Come on. We're going home.' He looked at Doctor Dandaron. 'Keep her here at all costs.'

The doctor nodded bleakly. 'There is security on every ward and the entrances close at night.'

'Good enough.' Frex stalked out of the room and Nessa looked at her sister with large, tear-filled hazel eyes. 'Fabala… I am so sorry,' she whispered, before wheeling herself out of the room, following her father.

Elphaba took a few deep breaths as she looked at Doctor Dandaron. 'You're going to do it, aren't you?' she asked flatly.

He gently laid his hand on her shoulder. 'I am so very sorry, Elphaba,' he said sincerely, dropping the honorific. 'But I can't go against your father. He still has the authority over you, as your father, and… I'm really sorry. Please try to understand.'

'I do,' she whispered, trying her hardest not to cry. He squeezed her shoulder consolingly and then a nurse came in to take her to her room. 'Your procedure is scheduled for tomorrow morning, ten o'clock,' the nurse told her curtly before leaving her alone in the sterile white hospital room, carefully closing the door behind her.

Elphaba flung herself onto the bed and cried, her broken sobs muffled by the white hospital pillow.


	12. Fire And Ashes

**AN: Whoa. You guys are... um... passionate :P. Especially StuckinSouthstairs, who kept throwing arguments at me at why someone should and/or would do something, why Boq or Doctor Dandaron should help her, why Elphaba wouldn't just sit around sulking in her room... I liked that :). As I said, your reactions are funny. I love the fact that I elicited this _very_ convincing lap of text from you just as much as I enjoy the fact that I made Silvine Fae Graycin cry and making BookWorm0001 speechless. Sorry :3. **

**And of course StuckinSouthstairs is right - Elphaba would _never _just sit around and wait for some creeps to remove her unborn baby. I never meant her to. So she won't, as you'll read in this next chappie. Yay. (_Really_, ComingAndGoingByBubble? You _really _thought I'd let her die on the operation table? :O How horrendible do you think I am? Well... I'm horrendible. A little. But not _that _horrendible :P.)**

**About killing Frex/kicking him in places where the sun don't shine... Not yet. But he will be punished for his crimes 3:). Muhahahahaha.**

* * *

Elphaba cried for a while, but after a few minutes she pulled herself together. She had always been more one for action instead of emotion and so she got up and started pacing up and down the room, racking her brain for a way out of this, but she couldn't really think of one. She tried sneaking out of her room a few times that day, but every time, some security guard or nurse steered her back to her room, telling her sternly to stay in there. She chewed her bottom lip and bit her nails, she went to see if she could escape out of the window – which she couldn't, given the fact that her room was about five stories high up in the air – and finally, she just fell back on her bed, staring at the ceiling, one hand unconsciously flying towards her stomach.

A baby. She still found it hard to believe, but it was possible, of course. She cursed herself for being so stupid, for not using protection, but there was nothing she could do about that anymore now. It had been just that one time, but apparently that one time had been enough. How would Fiyero react if he knew this? Would he, indeed, marry her? Or would he turn away from her? Would he still love her? She thought so – Oz, she _hoped _so… but she wasn't sure.

She sighed, fighting back a new flood of tears. She couldn't do this. She could _not _have them take her child away from her. She had to do something… but what?

* * *

That night, when Boq had almost fallen asleep, his hospital room door suddenly opened and someone snuck in silently. He sat up immediately, but relaxed when he saw it was Elphaba, looking desperate and exhausted. 'Elphaba?'

Her head shot up, but she, too, relaxed when she recognised him. 'Boq,' she breathed. 'That was pure coincidence. I was trying to sneak out, but a nurse came my way and I hid in the first room I came across… Thank Oz it's yours.'

He looked at her sympathetically and she shifted. 'Have you heard?' she asked softly.

He nodded solemnly. 'I'm so sorry, Elphaba.'

'Do you think…' She paused for a moment, regained her composure and finished in an almost inaudible whisper, 'Do you think Fiyero would… stay with me? If he knew?'

Boq immediately nodded. 'Elphaba… I know you find it hard to believe, but he loves you. It's crystal clear to anyone, really, but you. He's hopelessly devoted to you – he'd do anything for you.'

She let out a breath she had apparently been holding this whole time. 'Do you really think so?'

'I _know _so.'

She nodded, looking stronger now, as she whispered pleadingly, 'I can't let them do it, Boq. I can't let them take my baby.'

He locked eyes with her and in that short moment, he saw every emotion she didn't allow herself to feel flash in her chocolate brown eyes. Hurt, anger, sadness, hope, grief, despair, pain, fear… especially fear. It felt as if they looked at each other like that for an eternity, but in reality, it was just a few clock-ticks before he made a decision and said gravely, 'Then don't let them.'

She looked at him in mild confusion and he shook his head. How could he not help her? She was his friend. She didn't deserve this – no one did, and he just couldn't let it happen. The despair in her eyes was enough to convince him of that. 'I cannot pretend that I know what you're feeling, because I don't,' he said quietly. 'But I can _imagine_ it, and no one deserves that. The way your father treats you… it has to stop, here and now. I understand why you can't let them take you child away and you shouldn't let them.'

'I won't,' she whispered and he smiled at her. 'Good.' He pointed towards the window. 'The window is open. There's a balcony attached to my room. From there, you can climb down onto the roof of the floor below this one, and from there, you can get to the small alley behind the hospital relatively easily. I won't tell anyone.'

She looked again as if she were about to cry, but for an entirely different reason now. She squeezed his hand tightly. 'Thank you, Boq,' she said slowly, sincerely, locking eyes with him to convey her gratitude in a way words never could. 'Thank you so much.'

He squeezed her hand, too. 'Good luck.'

She gave him a small smile and nodded; then she disappeared behind the curtain and clambered out of the window. Boq jumped out of his bed and ran towards the window to watch her go. She had climbed down onto the roof below his balcony and was now running towards the other side of the building, her dark hair flying in the wind. She looked back once more and he waved at her; then, with the grace and limberness of a black cat, she started jumping and clambering across the rooftops until she dropped down onto the street below and disappeared from his sight.

Doctor Dandaron, who happened to be working late and looking out of the window when she passed by, saw her, too. A small smile graced his lips when he turned around and pretended not to have seen anything at all.

* * *

The next day, Doctor Dandaron looked up from his paperwork when a fuming Frex stalked into his office. 'Where is she?!'

The doctor carefully took off his glasses and looked at the raging man. 'I'm very sorry, Governor Thropp. I had instructed the nurses to keep a close eye on her, but somehow, she managed to escape anyway.'

The Governor rested his hands flat on the desk and leaned forwards. 'How many people know of this?'

Doctor Dandaron was slightly baffled by this question. 'No one, sir. Just you and me. I mean, more people know she is gone, but they don't know why or how.'

Frex seemed satisfied with that answer. He leaned back a little and nodded. 'You understand that this matter must be handled discreetly.'

'Of course, sir.'

'You mustn't tell _anyone _what happened.'

'But sir…' Doctor Dandaron tried. 'People are going to ask questions. The nurses, Miss Elphaba's friends and sister… What do I tell them?'

Frex waved a hand in the air. 'I'll deal with Master Boq and Nessarose, Dandaron. And you… you are going to tell the nurses that the carriage accident had done more damage than anyone knew of, and that Elphaba died of internal bleeding.'

Doctor Dandaron blanched. 'What?'

'You heard me.'

'But sir… Don't you want to get her back?'

Frex snorted. 'Oh, yes, I'm going to look for her, if that's what you mean. I'm going to find that dirty little slut and when I do, I'm going to lock her up for the rest of her life so no one will ever have to look at that distasteful _thing_ ever again!'

Doctor Dandaron now felt extremely grateful for the fact that Elphaba had managed to escape and he was _really _glad that he had decided to let her. The poor girl…

'That will be all, Dandaron,' Frex said, straightening his shoulders and making his way towards the door. 'Now if you'll excuse me, I'll have to go and tell my precious girl that her monstrosity of a sister has just died.'

* * *

Boq couldn't believe what he was hearing. 'What?'

'She died,' Frex told them in a ghostly voice, trying his hardest to look even slightly sad. 'There was some internal bleeding the doctor's didn't see yesterday, and she died overnight.'

Boq was baffled. How could Frex _do _this?!

Tears sprung to Mrs. Parlone's eyes – even though her son had never been that close with the green girl, she had known Elphaba all her life nonetheless. 'Oh, the poor girl…'

Nessa started crying uncontrollably, and Frex pulled her towards him and held her, stroking her hair in a soothing manner. 'Ssh, it's okay, my precious girl. You'll be okay.'

_Yes, of course _she _will be okay! _Boq wanted to scream. _She isn't the one that is pregnant and on the run while her own father proclaims her dead! _But he kept his mouth shut. Not only would it be very insensible to go against Frex, but also did he not want to let the Governor know that he knew that Elphaba was still alive. And so he just pretended to be shocked and grief-stricken, like everyone else. He meant to talk to Nessarose later – together they could figure out what to do. If Nessa was willing to testify against Frex, perhaps they could even get him arrested!

He hadn't for one moment thought about the possibility that he wouldn't have another chance to talk to Nessa, but that was exactly what happened next. Frex took his daughter home and Boq stayed at the hospital for a few more hours. When he was released, he wanted to go to the Governor's house immediately, but his parents forbad him to leave even his bed. 'But Mom!' he protested, beckoning he and telling her quietly, 'Elphaba is not dead. I have to go and tell Nessa!'

His parents exchanged a look, decided that the combination of his concussion and the shock of Elphaba's death must be too much for him, and made him stay on bed rest. One of his family members stayed with him the entire time, so there was no way he could sneak out; and when he finally was allowed to leave the house and ran over to the Governor's mansion as fast as his legs could carry him, he was told that Miss Nessarose had returned to Shiz University the day before.

He kicked the wall of the house in defeat. What was he going to do now?

Then his breath caught in his throat. Nessa would tell Galinda… and Fiyero. Sweet Oz, they were going to be devastated! He had to let them know!

A letter. That was it. He was going to write them a letter.

* * *

Elphaba pulled her stolen black cloak tighter around her and looked around vigilantly. She had managed to reach the alley behind the hospital without too much trouble and she had started to run immediately, out of town, she wasn't even sure where she was going as long as it was as far away from the hospital and her father's house as she could manage. She ran until she couldn't run anymore; the she climbed up a tree and fell asleep on a thick branch.

The next day, very early in the morning, she had ventured out into a small nearby village and silently taken someone's cloak from a clothesline, figuring she should hide her green skin. She didn't even want to think about what would happen if someone recognised her and decided to take her back to her father.

She had left the village and walked down the Yellow Brick Road for a few miles, until she decided she had to think about where she was going. Not back home, that was for sure. Shiz was probably her safest option. She just hoped Fiyero – or even Galinda – would be there; she could imagine them running off to Munchkinland to come and look for her when they would hear about her disappearance.

That made her think about what her father would do now. She smirked slightly when she thought of his reaction – how his face would grow so red, it was almost purple, with a pulsing vein on his forehead, and how he would be fuming. Would he tell everyone she had disappeared? Would he make the hospital staff swear secrecy and tell everyone she had just returned to Shiz? Would he tell them something else?

Would he come and look for her?

That thought made her speed up as she descended the road. She needed a map or something. She didn't have any money, nothing at all, and so she would have to walk back to Shiz, but she had no idea where she was now and in which direction she would have to go in order to get there.

She left the road and walked through the cornfields until she reached another village. Pulling the hood over cloak far over her face, she addressed a passer-by. 'Excuse me, sir, but could you tell me which way I have to go to get to Shiz University?'

The man eyes her a bit warily, but pointed in the direction she had come from. 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road for a few more miles, then turn north. I'm not sure exactly where you have to go from there, but you could ask again,' he offered, and she nodded. 'Thank you, sir.'

She turned back towards the Yellow Brick Road and continued her journey.

* * *

'Governor Thropp?'

Frex looked up from his paperwork, slightly disturbed, and eyed the servant in his doorway. 'What?'

'Mrs. Parlone is here to see you.'

He suppressed a sigh. 'Let her in.'

The woman curtsied before him once she stood in front of his desk. 'Governor Thropp.'

'Mrs. Parlone.' He took off his reading glasses and looked up at her. 'How can I help you?'

'Oh, it's nothing, really,' she said, a bit uncomfortably. 'I just… heard you were sending someone to town today, to post a few letters, and I was wondering if you could post this one for me. Or for my son, really.'

The Governor accepted the letter. 'Of course I will.'

'Thank you, Governor,' she said, curtsying again, and she left his study. He eyed the letter curiously. It was from Boq, apparently, and it was addressed to his daughter. What would be in there? That boy wouldn't write his precious Nessa something sinful, now would he? Without further thought, he opened the letter and quickly skimmed the words. What he saw, made his blood boil with rage.

_Dear Nessa,_

_I'm really sorry I have to tell you like this. I really tried to tell you personally, but when I was finally allowed out of the house, you had already left back for Shiz and I need you to know this. Elphaba isn't dead. She's alive. I helped her escape that night at the hospital. I'm sorry, Nessa, but I couldn't let those people kill her baby. She is the mother, she should decide whether she wants to keep it or not._

_I don't know where she is now, or where she's going, but I thought you should know. Please tell Galinda and Fiyero about this, too. As soon as I get back to Shiz, we'll go and find her, I promise._

_Love,_

_Boq_

Frex crumpled the paper and threw it into the fire. Then he started pacing furiously. That Munchkin boy had helped Elphaba escape! What if he'd tell anyone?

He made a decision immediately. He strode towards the Parlone's house and knocked. 'Can I have a word with your son?' Frex asked in a well-constrained tone of voice, when Mr. Parlone opened the door. The poor man looked slightly bewildered, but nodded. 'Of course, Governor.'

'In private?' Frex added, and Mr. Parlone gestured to a door. 'He's in his room alone.'

Frex stalked into the room, closed the door behind him and grabbed the baffled boy sitting at the desk. 'Now listen very carefully, young Master Boq,' he spat, quietly enough so that the boy's parents wouldn't hear. 'If you so much as _breathe _one word about this to anyone, I'm going to burn down your house and have your entire family arrested. I don't care if they have done anything wrong or not, I will find a reason to put them to death. You are not to speak to _anyone _about this. Understood?'

Boq, who had paled visibly and was sweating profusely now, nodded. Frex let go of him. 'Good.'

Then he left the house, leaving Boq trembling with fear in his room.

* * *

_Dear Fae,_

_I know you're probably going to laugh at me when you get back, but… well, I'm worried. I've been back at Shiz for two days now, but you aren't here. Nessa arrived yesterday, looking dreadfully pale; she was alone, and she wouldn't speak to anyone. Apparently she has locked herself in her room and refuses to see even me or Galinda. Madam Morrible won't say anything, either, and Boq didn't come with Nessa, so I can't very well ask him. I'm sure you have a good reason for not showing up yet, but could you please just tell me? Write back? Anything? I'm worried._

_All my love,_

_Fiyero_

Frex read the letter, then slowly, carefully, folded it and ripped it into tiny little pieces before sprinkling them into the fireplace. A wicked grin spread slowly over his face as he watched the tiny pieces of paper curl up and turn to ashes.

* * *

**More murderous reviews will make my day - and that says something, because I'm having a real bad one so far. You wouldn't want me to cry, now do you? ^^**


	13. Telling Lies

**AN: You guys are so sweet! (To me, at least; yes, I am giving you full permission to kill Frex/kick him where the sun don't shine/form a mob/change him into a Scarecrow/chase after him with torches and pitchforks/anything else you might come up with.)**

**Yes, you all did, indeed, make my day (which, fortunately, ended much better than it started), with your awesome reviews :). Musicalvampirelove, I love being mean to my characters too, not sure why... although it might have something to do with the fact that I just _adore _the sappy and fluffy reunions I get to write afterwards :P.**

**And Bubble, thank you. I'm proud of you, too ;-).**

**ExoticPeachBlossom: working on it. Both of them ^^.**

* * *

'_Rock, paper, scissors!'_

_Elphaba looked down. Paper. Galinda pretended to cut it with her scissors._

_The pink powder puff bounced up and down. 'I get to ask you a question!'_

_Elphaba grumbled. 'This is so childish.'_

_Galinda made a stern face at her. 'No, it's not. You only say that because you lost.'_

_The green girl sighed. 'Fine. Go ahead.'_

'_And you have to answer honestly. Those are the rules.' Galinda thought about it for a moment, then looked at her roommate with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. 'Where were you last night after the masquerade? You didn't sleep in our room.'_

_Elphaba choked. 'Galinda!'_

'_Answer honestly,' Galinda reminded her, grinning. Elphaba flopped down onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow. 'I was with Fiyero, all right?'_

_Galinda squealed and clapped her hands. 'What did you… you know… _do_?'_

'_That's a second question,' Elphaba huffed. 'You have to win again to ask me that.'_

_Galinda rolled her eyes. 'Fine. Come on. Rock, paper, scissors!'_

'_Hah! I win!' Elphaba exclaimed. 'So what did you and _Aroon _do that night?'_

_Galinda flushed. 'Elphie!' She actually felt kind of stupid that she hadn't thought to ask that question first – about Elphie and Fiyero, then, of course. But she'd ask her green friend later. 'We didn't do anything!'_

'_Answer honestly!' Elphaba sang, far too cheerfully for Galinda's liking. 'Elphie, I swear. He took me home and that was it. I told you, he was boring. I really didn't want to do stuff with him.'_

_Rock, paper, scissors._

'_Here you go, Elphie,' Galinda said, smirking. 'There's no escaping this. What did you and Fiyero _do _the night after the masquerade?'_

_Elphaba was blushing furiously and that was answer enough for the bubbly blonde. 'Ooh! You _did _it! How was it? Was it nice? Was he any good? Did it hurt? Did you do it again after that?'_

'_You're going to have to win five more times in order for me to answer those,' Elphaba grumbled, and Galinda's face fell. 'Ah, but Elphie!'_

'_No. I'd like to keep some parts of my life _private_, thank you very much.'_

_Galinda pouted. 'What's the fun of that?'_

_The green girl merely glared at her and Galinda shrugged. 'Doesn't matter. I'm going to win again, and I'm going to interrogate you until there is nothing I don't know about you,' she grinned. 'Rock, paper, scissors! Hah! So how was it?'_

_Elphaba hid underneath her blankets. 'It was nice.'_

_Galinda quirked an eyebrow. 'Just nice?'_

_The heap of blankets sighed. 'No. More like… amazing?'_

_Galinda jumped up and down. 'Yay! Oh, how I'd love to…' She faltered, but by then it was too late. Elphaba carefully poked her head out from underneath the blankets. 'What did you say?'_

'_Nothing.'_

'_You mean you've never…'_

'_I don't mean anything. I didn't even say anything.'_

_Elphaba grinned as she slowly reappeared from her bed and approached the blonde. 'Yes you did. Don't worry, you'll spit it out… after I beat you.'_

_Rock, paper, scissors._

_Galinda sighed with relief as she beat Elphaba's rock with her paper. 'Thank Oz. Elphie… When was your first kiss?'_

_Elphaba looked at her. 'About four months ago, when Fiyero saved me from that train.'_

_Galinda's mouth fell open and she gaped at her friend. 'You've _never _been _kissed _before?'_

'_What, you thought boys have been lining up to kiss the Artichoke?'_

_Galinda flushed. 'No… I suppose not. But… you're like… _twenty_. I had my first kiss when I was, like, twelve. And that's only if you don't count my childhood sweethearts, because all _those _boys kissed me, too.'_

_Elphaba rolled her eyes. 'I'm not you, Galinda. Honestly, I'm really happy I've ever been kissed at all. Next battle.'_

_Rock, paper, scissors._

_Galinda winced and Elphaba smiled wickedly. 'Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands… Have you ever _done _it with a boy?'_

_The blonde flushed, but tried to hide it. 'Done what exactly, Elphie?'_

'_You know what I mean.'_

_Galinda sighed. 'Yes, I do. Fine. No, I've never slept with a boy. Happy now?'_

'_I thought…'_

'_Most people think that. I've done some… _stuff _with boys in the past, but never… never that. I want to save it for the man I really want to be with.'_

'_That's sweet.'_

'_No, it's old-fashioned and stupid,' Galinda countered. 'But it's how I feel.' She paused. 'You did it, too, didn't you?'_

_Elphaba looked at her friend questioningly. 'I did what?'_

'_Save it for the man you really want to be with, for the rest of your life.'_

_Elphaba blushed. 'Well… Yes. I guess so. I mean, there wasn't much to save, really, since no one but Fiyero has ever shown any interest, but I wouldn't have done it, either, if I didn't love him.' She clasped her hands over her mouth in horror as soon as the words left her mouth and Galinda started bouncing on her bed, excited beyond reason. 'Oh my Oz, I knew it! You said it! You love him! Elphie loves Fiyero, Elphie loves Fiyero!'_

'_Would you shut up?' Elphaba hissed, but Galinda just kept going. 'You never said that before! I always knew you _felt _it, of course, but you never said it! Did you say it to him yet? Like, when you two… you know…'_

'_No,' Elphaba said quietly. 'I never said it. I couldn't.'_

'_But now you did.'_

'_So I did. But not to him. I'm not ready to say it to him.'_

'_You're getting there,' Galinda assured her. She jumped down from her bed. 'This is a giant breakthrough. This deserves…'_

_Elphaba winced in anticipation. 'A makeover? A shopping spree?'_

_Galinda laughed. 'That, too, but I won't do that to you. I was thinking more along the lines of that delicious strawberry cake they serve at Shiz Café. Wanna come?'_

_Elphaba smiled at her friend and allowed Galinda to pull her up. 'Sure.'_

'I love you, Fiyero,' Elphaba whispered as she was lying on a small cot in a traveller's hut, curled up into herself, hands instinctively, protectively folded across her stomach. How she wished she could tell him. She would, she promised herself, when she saw him again. Missing him had been the final wake-up call. She could say it. She loved him, she had for a long time now, and she was ready to tell him… If only she could get to him.

* * *

'Nessa!' Fiyero called, running after the wheelchair-bound girl. 'Nessa, wait up!'

She looked over her shoulder, saw him and sped up immediately, not wanting to talk to him, but he caught up with her and she sighed. 'Nessa, I've been looking for you for the past week! Where have you been?'

'Oh, you know… around,' she replied vaguely, begging in silence he wouldn't ask about Elphaba. She couldn't tell him. She couldn't look him in the eye and tell him that his girlfriend, the one he clearly loved beyond belief, had died. And that she had been pregnant, too. She decided immediately that she wouldn't tell him that last part by any means – her father wouldn't want her to, and it would only hurt Fiyero more.

'Nessa… Do you know where Elphaba is?' he asked, and her heart sank. 'I've been wanting to talk to you about it, since you two were supposed to arrive together, weren't you? But Elphaba isn't here. Where is she?'

Nessa looked at him with big, sad eyes. 'Fiyero…'

He suddenly had a really bad feeling. 'What is it? She's all right, isn't she?'

Nessa slowly shook her head. 'No… Fiyero, she's not.'

'There you are, Nessa!' Galinda interrupted them, bouncing to their side. 'Do you know where Elphie is? I haven't seen her since Lurlinemas break and I _really _want to tell her about the dates I had during the holidays!'

Fiyero's head was still spinning from Nessa's news, wondering what had happened – what did she mean Elphaba wasn't all right? Was she hurt? Sick? Had Frex… His blood started to boil. 'What _happened_, Nessarose?'

The girl winced. 'She… We went to town the other day, a few days prior to the end of the vacation.'

Fiyero nodded impatiently. 'I know, she told me in advance, but I never received another letter from her afterwards. What happened?'

'There was an accident,' Nessa told them quietly. 'One of the wheels of the carriage broke, and it fell over… We were all taken to a hospital and the doctor said we were all fine – Elphaba had a scratch on her arm, but not too serious, and Boq had a concussion and a head injury, so he had to stay overnight. That's why he didn't come along back to Shiz – he had to stay at rest for a few weeks, but he'll return soon, so that wasn't too bad, either…'

'If it wasn't too bad, then why isn't Elphaba here?' Galinda demanded in a high-pitched tone of voice. 'Nessa, you're scaring me. Could you please tell me what is going on?'

Tears welled up in Nessa's eyes and she stifled a sob. 'There was… There was some internal bleeding, the doctors had overlooked it, and overnight, she… she…' She looked up brokenly. 'I'm so sorry, Fiyero, Galinda,' she whispered. 'She died.'

Fiyero felt as if the world stopped spinning and he was falling – hard. 'She _what_?'

Galinda looked about as shaken as he felt, her pretty face dreadfully pale. 'No. She can't have.'

'I'm so sorry,' Nessa repeated, not able to hold back her tears now. They streamed freely down her face and she didn't even make an effort to wipe them away. 'She's dead… My sister's dead…' She cried, and Galinda immediately hugged her and cried, too. Fiyero, for his part, merely felt… he wasn't sure. Empty. Numb. As if he had been punched in the stomach, as if he couldn't breathe, as if…

'Fiyero?' Nessa said softly. 'Are you…' _No, of course he's not all right,_ she chastised herself in her mind. Fiyero, however, didn't even seem to hear her. 'I… I need some time alone,' he managed to choke out, before running off.

* * *

_Dear Boq,_

_I miss you. I wish you were here with me. I can't do this, Boq, not by myself. Yesterday I had to tell Fiyero and Galinda, and it was more awful than I could ever imagine. Galinda won't stop crying. She's been spending much time with me lately, and we talk about Elphaba a lot, but it doesn't help. It's unfair, and awful, and… I can't help but feel it's my fault. If I hadn't insisted on going to town that day, if I had stood up to father for her… Perhaps things would have been different now. But there's nothing I can do about it anymore and that knowledge is killing me._

_Everyone is worried sick about Galinda, her being the loved person that she is, but that is nothing compared to how Fiyero is coping. He's been walking around like a ghost, not attending any of his classes or talking to anyone – I don't even think he eats or sleeps. He just locks himself in his room, and if he's not there, he can be found at the strangest of places; his current favourites seem to be the storage room in the library and the trees in the university park, for reasons nobody knows. He can sit there for hours, staring ahead of him without seeming to see anything. Several people have tried to talk him out of the trees, but he doesn't listen to anyone. No one can get through to him._

_Oh Boq, how I wish you were here… I comfort myself by thinking you'll be back in another week or so, but it seems so long. How can they expect me to attend classes, pay attention and be cheerful with my friends when my sister has just died? I feel helpless._

_I'm sorry for this depressing letter, I didn't mean to bother you with any of this. How are you feeling? Is your wound healing, and how is your concussion? I miss you and I love you, Boq._

_All my love,_

_Nessarose Thropp_

As soon as Boq got her letter, several things became crystal clear to him. One: Nessa somehow hadn't received his letter – he suspected intervention of Frex, somehow, since the day he had written the letter had also been the day Frex had threatened him. And two: he had to get to Shiz. Immediately. Concussion or no concussion. Being Fiyero's closest male friend at Shiz, Fiyero had told him all about how much he loved Elphaba and wanted to spend the rest with her life with her, and Boq knew him well enough to know that he would _not _cope well with this news. He had been right, according to Nessa's letter. He was afraid Fiyero would do something stupid. And Galinda didn't deserve this, either. They deserved the truth. Threats or no threats, Frex couldn't do this.

And so that night, he took a deep breath and pushed open the door of his room, entering the living room, where his parents were quietly talking to one another. 'Mom? Dad?' They both looked up and he took another deep breath. 'I have to tell you something.'

* * *

'Whatta you doin' here, missy? All by ya'self?'

Elphaba looked up and saw a scruffy-looking man approaching her, swaying slightly as he walked. He was clearly drunk and she eyed him cautiously. 'Nothing. Just passing through.'

'Ah, passin' through, eh? Wouldn't ya like to stay a lil' bit longer? Perhaps spend the night here? Murtown's a really nice place, ya'know.' He winked at her. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of alcohol that came from his mouth. 'No, thank you. I really should get going.'

'Goin' so soon, eh?' He came even closer and she stepped back, but he was faster and grabbed her arm. 'C'mon, girly, how 'bout a little adventure? Y'r pretty enough underneath all the green, 'nd I bet you'd like to, wouldn't ya?'

'No, I wouldn't,' she told him furiously, yanking her arm back. 'Now let me go!'

He grabbed her arm again, angrily this time. 'Now list'n very carefully, missy. Y'r goin' to come with me and y'r not goin' to make a sound, or ya gonna regret it, got it?'

'Hey, Miss!' a new voice interrupted and the drunk man glared at someone standing behind her. 'Is he bothering you?'

'Wasn't doin' nothin'!' the drunk called back, sounding indignant, as he reluctantly let go of her. He staggered away and Elphaba sighed with relief.

'You all right, Miss?' her saviour asked, and she turned around to look into the kind eyes of a middle-aged man. She leaned against the wall for support and to catch her breath. 'Yes. Yes I'm fine, thank you.'

'Good.' The man smiled at her and looked at her more closely. His eyes widened when he saw the green and she groaned softly in exasperation. 'Don't worry, it's not contagious. I was born this way.'

'I see.' He nodded gravely. 'I'm sorry. That was rude of me. Girls your age shouldn't be wandering the streets at this hour, especially not here in Murtown – it's not safe. Do you need a place to stay?'

She hesitated, and he added, 'Don't worry, we wouldn't mind. My wife and me have been living alone here for years now. It'd be nice to have a visitor, even if it would just be for one night. And I promise I won't bite.'

She flashed him a grateful smile. 'Thank you.'

He smiled again and extended his hand. 'I'm Turin.'

She shook his hand. 'Elphaba.'

His smile widened. 'Nice to meet you, Elphaba. Now, if you'll follow me to my house?'

He led her through a few streets and alleyways until they reached a small cottage at the verge of town and he gestured wildly. 'It's not much, but it's home. Lavel!' he then called as he entered the small building. 'I'm home! And I brought us a guest. Yorgo was drunk again and he was harassing this girl – she needed a place to stay, so I brought her here.'

'A guest?' A tall – but not quite as tall as Turin himself – blonde woman entered the living room, wiping her hands on a towel, a smile on her face. 'And who might that… Oh!' She blanched when she saw Elphaba and looked ready to faint. The green girl cast her eyes heavenwards and prepared to recite her 'yes-I-am-green-so-what'-speech once again, but the woman seemed to have something different in mind than just her skin colour. 'Oh, my,' she whispered, one hand covering her mouth. 'You're her!'

Elphaba grew slightly wary. 'I'm who?'

'You're the Governor's daughter!'

Her eyes widened. 'No I'm not,' she quickly denied it, but it was no use. The woman shook her head, smiling slightly again. 'I'm sorry, dear, but denying really is no use. It's not as if there are that many green girls in Oz, let alone Munchkinland.'

Elphaba sighed. 'All right. Yes, I'm the Governor's daughter.'

'But that's not possible!' Turin, who now recognised her as well, protested. Elphaba frowned at him. 'Why not?'

Silently, Lavel took a newspaper from the dining table and handed it to Elphaba. She quickly skimmed the front page and gasped as she read one of the headlines. _GOVERNOR'S DAUGHTER DIES IN CARRIAGE ACCIDENT._

She sank down onto a chair, dreadfully pale. 'Nessa is dead?' she whimpered softly. How could that be? Had the accident done more damage than any of them had realised? But why hadn't Doctor Dandaron known?

Turin made a face. 'No… No, you're sister is fine, Elphaba. But… you might want to read the article.'

She frowned again in confusion, but did as he said and her eyes widened. 'Wait a minute. _I'm _dead?' She took a moment to let it sink in, then got up brusquely. 'He _didn't_!' she hissed furiously. 'I don't believe this! I know he never even cared one twig about me, but I never expected him to… Oh!' She crumpled the paper and threw it on the floor, starting to pace as she thought about this. Did Nessa know? Was she in on the conspiracy? Or had he told even his own _daughter _that her sister was dead?

At least Boq knew, she mused. He would tell Nessa, wouldn't he? And Galinda, and Fiyero…

Oz… Galinda and Fiyero. What if Boq _didn't _tell Nessa? She could only imagine their reactions. 'I have to go to Shiz _now_.'

'Oh, no, you don't,' Lavel said, shaking her head with determination. 'It's late. It's not safe for you out there. You're going to stay the night with us and tomorrow you can continue your journey.'

Turin was still bewildered. 'But how…'

His wife nudged him gently. 'Not now, love. Look at the poor child – she must be exhausted. The guest room is over there, Elphaba,' she said, pointing towards a door. 'Do you have a nightgown with you? Or spare clothes?'

The green girl shook her head, feeling a bit embarrassed, but Lavel merely smiled at her sympathetically. 'You can freshen up in the bathroom – it's attached to your room. I'll make sure there are some clothes on your bed when you get back.'

Elphaba sighed with relief and smiled gratefully at the older woman, tears springing to her eyes – stupid hormones. 'Thank you so much.'

Lavel returned her smile. 'You're welcome, dear, don't worry about it.'

* * *

'Fiyero, this has to stop,' Nessa told him quietly one day, when she and Galinda found him with a bottle of liquid, dashing pebbles across the lake. He looked at her, his eyes bloodshot. He had done nothing but sit still and drink for days now and the girls had had about enough of it.

He couldn't even muster the energy to keep his head up for longer than a clock-tick or so before his gaze drifted back down. 'Why?' he asked hoarsely.

Galinda started to get angry with him. 'Because you're acting like an idiot! You've been like this before, remember? When Elphie had told you to leave her alone, all those months ago? Why do you always behave like an idiot when you are hurt, instead of just _coping _with it? I don't know, _talk _to people instead of shutting them out? Oz, Elphie would _kill _you if she were here!'

'But she's not, is she?' he snapped suddenly, jumping up, fury in his eyes . 'That's just it, Galinda. She's not here! This is nothing like last time. Last time, she had rejected me, but she was here. She was _alive_. How can you even compare the two? I don't care if I'm behaving like an idiot or not. I just don't _care_!'

She knew he didn't just mean that he didn't care if he was behaving like an idiot – he meant he didn't care at all. Not anymore.

'Fiyero,' Nessa tried, but he didn't even respond and Galinda decided to get harsh on him. 'Does it help?' she demanded angrily. 'Drinking alcohol as if it were water? Tell me this, Fiyero – does that alcohol even in the _slightest_ take away any of the hurt you're feeling?'

'No, it doesn't!' he shouted at her. 'But I don't _care_! If it only helps for a few clock-ticks, that's better than nothing! That's all I care about right now!'

'You're ruining your life!'

'_What _life?! She _was _my life!'

Galinda fell silent at that, and Fiyero ran off to prevent the girls from seeing the tears shining in his eyes.

* * *

Galinda carefully closed the door of her dorm room behind her, leaning her back against it and sighing heavily, as she did every night now. She sank down onto the floor, her back still against the door, feeling completely spent and exhausted. No one had ever imagined the perky, bubbly blonde to be capable of being quiet for days, of looking weary, of crying so many tears, but she had proved them all wrong in the past few days. Though still pretty, the traces of grief were clearly written all over her face and sometimes she wouldn't even put on any make-up, which _especially _worried her friends to no end, but nothing anyone said could snap her out of it.

She reluctantly dragged herself away from the door, not even bothering to turn on the light. She kicked off her shoes and flopped down onto her bed, between piles of clothes and shoes and jewellery that were scattered around her side of the room. She stared at the other side of the room, neatly organised, the bed made up tidily, a stack of books on the desk... She stared until it made her eyes tear – but that could be for another reason than just the staring.

Eventually, she got up from her own bed and tentatively crossed the room towards the other bed. She picked up the pillow, cradled it in her arms and breathed in the scent. Fresh tears welled up in her eyes. It still smelled like Elphie.

She clutched the pillow to her chest, lay down on her roommate's bed and curled herself into a ball, burying her face in the pillow as she started to cry uncontrollably.

* * *

**Aawww... Poor Elphie/Galinda/Nessa/Boq/Fiyero... Your reviews are inspiring me, so expect the next chapter either later tonight (don't count on that though) or tomorrow morning/early afternoon :).**


	14. No More Holding Back

**AN: Aww, thanks again so much! You guys are awesome! :) **

**Is it weird if I tell you I kind of sort of maybe started sort of crying myself when I was re-reading the part about Fiyero saying that she was his life? Which is really sad and pathetic, since I made it up myself, wrote it myself, they're all fictional characters... I was like, 'girl, get over yourself'... But I couldn't help it :3.**

**Hailey, you should create an account. I'd love to read some of your stories once - they're probably just as good, if not much better, than mine ;-). And are you a mindreader? (You'll know what I mean when you get to the end of this chapter. Trust me, I didn't rip off your idea; I actually planned on doing this all along. Which is cool. I like mind-reading readers. ^^)**

* * *

When Lavel pushed open the guest bedroom door the next morning, Elphaba wasn't there.

She crossed the room and knocked on the bathroom door. 'Elphaba? Are you in there?'

She heard some strange sounds and pushed the door open. 'Elphaba?'

The green girl was hunched over the toilet, clutching her stomach, throwing up. Lavel quickly kneeled down next to her and held back her hair and rubbed her back until it was over. 'Are you sick?'

Elphaba wiped her mouth and gave a shuddery sigh. 'Not really.' She didn't elaborate, but Lavel was a smart woman. She looked at the green girl, slightly narrowing her piercing gray eyes, as she connected the dots. A father pretending his daughter to be dead and the daughter in question running from him, and now the vomiting… she wasn't a fool.

She didn't articulate her suspicions, though. Instead, she silently fetched Elphaba a glass of water to rinse her mouth. 'Do you think you can hold some breakfast?'

Elphaba gave her a watery smile. 'I guess so. I feel much better already.' And she did, too. She had suffered some morning sickness in the past few days, but nothing too bad, luckily, and it always disappeared around midmorning at the latest.

Lavel smiled back. 'Good.' She helped the girl to her feet and left her in her room to get dressed. After Elphaba had put on the clothes – they were Lavel's and a bit too large, but much better than her own old dress – she entered the kitchen, where Turin was already sitting at the table, while Lavel was rummaging around. She looked up and smiled as she caught sight of Elphaba. 'Breakfast is almost ready.'

She nodded and sat down across from Turin, who peered at her over his newspaper. 'Elphaba?'

She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze and picked up a glass of juice to save her face. 'Yes?'

'Do you know who the father is?'

The juice didn't seem such a good idea anymore when she choked on it and pretty much sprayed it across the table. '_What_?'

Turin chuckled softly and his wife gave him a piercing look as she fetched a cloth to clean the table. 'That was hardly subtle, Turin. Do you have to be such a _man_?'

'I can hardly help it,' he protested. 'I _am _a man.'

Lavel sighed and turned to Elphaba. 'We know about your pregnancy, dear. Don't worry, we don't judge and we will not tell anyone if you don't want us to… We'd just like to know what happened, exactly.'

Elphaba sighed and gave in. 'I'm sorry I didn't tell you. It's just…'

'You don't have to explain, dear,' Lavel hurried to reassure her. 'We understand why you couldn't tell us. But why?'

And so she told them. She told them about Fiyero, about Galinda, Boq and Nessa. About the masquerade and the Lurlinemas break, the carriage accident and the hospital. How her father had wanted to terminate the pregnancy and how Boq had helped her escape it, and how she had pretty much wandered aimlessly around Munchkinland for the past week or so. 'That's how I ended up here.'

She looked up and was surprised to find Turin's normally mischievous twinkling gaze to be completely serious, and Lavel actually had tears in her eyes. 'Oh, I'm sorry,' she sniffed, turning to the counter to dab her eyes with her apron. 'It's just… Oh, you poor dear,' she blurted out suddenly, hugging Elphaba. 'How can a man do such a thing to his own daughter? I can't understand that, I really can't.'

'He never cared for me,' Elphaba said softly, feeling the slightest bit awkward with the older woman in tears because of her. 'He has hated me all my life. Because I'm green, and… well, other reasons.' She wasn't going to tell them about her mother and they didn't ask her to. 'Elphaba… Are you planning on continuing your journey?' Turin asked solemnly and she nodded. 'I have to get to Shiz. I don't know if Fiyero knows… Nessa might have told him, but I'm not even sure _she _knows.'

Turin shook his head in disgust. 'If I ever happen to encounter the Governor of Munchkinland, he's going to find out if it is still possible to govern a country with a few limbs missing,' he grunted, and Lavel and Elphaba laughed despite everything. 'I might be wrong,' Elphaba said, 'but I'm betting that you're going to have outrun Fiyero if you want to do that, or there won't be any more limbs to remove.'

Turin grinned. 'I've never met the boy, but I like him already.'

'Sweetheart, can we help you in any way?' Lavel asked Elphaba. 'I wish we could buy you a train ticket, or a carriage ride, or even a horse… but I'm afraid we don't have that much money to spare, and…'

'Oh, no, please don't!' Elphaba hastened to say. 'You don't have to give me anything. You've helped me so much already! Thank you for letting me stay here, really. You have no idea how much I appreciate it… You've been the first so far.'

'But a girl in your condition shouldn't just be wandering around on her own!' Lavel protested. Then her face brightened. 'I suppose there is something we can do… It's not much, but… Wait here.' She started moving around the cottage, collecting stuff here and there, and Turin looked at the green girl once again. 'Do you have to go right now?'

She hesitated, but nodded finally. 'I'm sorry. I wish I could stay, I really do, but…'

'Stop apologising,' Turin told her firmly. 'Everything we've done for you was our pleasure, and we understand why you have to move along right away. Just promise you'll be careful, all right?'

She smiled at him, tearing up once again – she felt as if she had been crying non-stop for the past few weeks. Damned hormones. 'I promise.'

'Here you go, dear,' Lavel declared as she re-entered the kitchen with a knapsack. 'It's not much, but I hope it will be enough to get you to Shiz.'

Elphaba opened the knapsack. Lavel had packed her food, spare clothes and a warm blanket. 'Thank you so much, but I can't…'

'Take it,' Lavel told her sternly. 'I don't have any money to offer you, and I feel bad about that, but I hope this will help, too.'

'What _have _you been eating all this time?' Turin asked curiously. 'You didn't have any money with you, did you?'

Elphaba made a face. 'No, I didn't… I kind of… stole food,' she confessed. 'Every now and then I managed to find something edible in a garbage can, but mostly, I stole some food here and there on the markets. Or I found fruit bushes or trees next to the Yellow Brick Road.'

'Well, it's clear you haven't been eating enough,' Turin commented, eyeing her figure critically. 'You're way too thin, little lady. Especially for someone in your condition.'

'He's right,' Lavel agreed, and Elphaba shrugged. 'It's no big deal. I've never been a really big eater – I've been rather thin all my life.'

'Not this thin, I'm sure, or those friends of yours would have stuffed you with food by now,' Turin joked. Lavel laughed. 'Your friends sound like wonderful people, Elphaba. I'd love to meet them sometime.'

'You will,' she promised impulsively. 'I'll come back sometime, and I'll bring my friends.'

'And your baby?' Lavel asked, smiling. Elphaba smiled back. 'And my baby.'

She took the knapsack and Lavel squeezed her hand. 'I hate to see you go. Be careful, Elphaba,' she warned the green girl as she hugged her, tears once again shining in her eyes. 'And good luck.'

Turin embraced her, too, and the couple watched together as Elphaba walked away from the cottage and back towards the Yellow Brick Road. She turned around once and waved; Turin and Lavel waved back, smiling. Then Elphaba took a deep breath and continued her journey.

* * *

'Miss Galinda!' Madam Morrible was panting as she caught up with the blonde girl and took a moment to catch her breath, fanning her face with her hand. 'Oh, my. It's clear I'm not the youngest of women anymore. Miss Galinda, can I have a word?'

'Sure, Madam,' Galinda agreed miserably, and the woman looked at her. 'I saw you dropped out of my Sorcery class.'

Galinda shrugged and Morrible sighed. 'Miss Galinda, however much I discouraged you at first, you do have a remarkable talent and it would be such a shame to throw it all away. You've been making much progress in the past half year – so much, even, that I wrote the Wizard about you and he might want to meet you one day!'

Galinda's blue eyes flashed. 'So that's it, then? Elphie is gone and you're replacing her already?'

Morrible was baffled. 'Miss Galinda-'

'Meeting the Wizard was Elphie's dream, Madam. Not mine.' Galinda turned around again. 'I quit Sorcery because I no longer have any interest in it. It's not the same without Elphie. You're going to have to find another replacement for her to send to the Wizard,' she spat before walking away.

* * *

_Dear Boq,_

_Is it strange that I'm writing to you? I mean, I'm not your girlfriend, but you've had a crush on me for, like, forever, and somehow, this feels kind of awkward… but I just needed to talk to someone, and you've always been the one of our circle to have the serious conversations with. Well, besides Elphie, of course, but… Oh, Oz, how I wish she was here._

_You don't have to respond to this if you don't want to. I just need to tell someone how I feel, or I'm afraid I might explode! I can't talk to anyone around here! Morrible is being her horrible self, Pfannee, Shenshen and Milla don't even understand why I'm so upset – I mean, they never even liked Elphaba – and Nessa… well, she stopped talking to me as well. She did talk, at first, but now she's at church almost constantly, praying for her sister's soul and for us to get over it… But I'm not sure we can. We're all drifting apart, every one of us wallowing in their own grief._

_I really want to talk to Fiyero, but each time I try, he either completely ignores me or snaps at me. I'm not sure, but I think he blames himself. There's nothing to blame on him, of course – not on anyone, really… but he said to Nessa once that it might not have happened if he had convinced Elphaba to go to the Vinkus with him for the holidays. I feel awful, but I don't know how I can help him._

_I just can't believe she's really gone. Nessa says there hasn't even been a funeral… Why was that? Her father hated her so much that he didn't even bury her properly? Was there some kind of service at all? I feel like I haven't had a single chance to say goodbye to my best friend, and… well, it hurts. More than you can imagine._

_I'm looking forward to seeing you again next week, Boq. Get well soon._

_Love,_

_Galinda_

* * *

_Dear Boq,_

_How are you? Are you feeling any better? Madam Morrible said you'd be back within four days or so. I can't wait._

_This is going to be a short letter, because there's this thing that's been bugging me ever since we got back and I don't know what to do. I'd like your advice on it. Do you think I should tell Galinda and Fiyero about Elphaba's pregnancy? _

_I hate going against father's will, and it's not like there's anything they can do about it anymore – that's why I chose not to tell them in the first place. I thought it would only hurt them more. But I can't help but feel that they have a right to know. Especially Fiyero. He's heartbroken, Boq… We all are. I don't know what to do anymore._

_I know father didn't want a service for Elphaba because of the way she disgraced our family – I didn't agree, of course; I still believe everyone deserves a decent goodbye, no matter how many sins they have committed… But he did bury her, didn't he? I've asked him about it a few times, but he doesn't tell me anything… Could you please find out for me what happened to her body? I would like to have a place to visit her when I get back to Munchkinland._

_Take care. I'll be here, waiting for you to come back._

_All my love,_

_Nessarose_

* * *

'She's not dead,' Mr. Parlone repeated.

Boq nodded. 'She's not.'

'She's pregnant.'

'She is.'

'And her father was going to end the pregnancy, but you helped her escape.'

'That pretty much sums it up.'

Mrs. Parlone leaned against the wall to support herself. 'My Oz, I don't believe this… Why didn't you tell us?'

'I did,' Boq said sourly. 'You didn't believe me. And after that, when the Governor came to see me…'

'Yes! What was that about?' his mother asked. Boq sighed. 'He threatened me… and you. He said he would have you all put to death if I so much as breathed one word about this to anyone. I… I got scared. But I've been receiving letters from Nessa and Galinda lately, and it's just… I can't keep this from them. They're devastated, Mom, especially Fiyero, and it's wrong what Frex did to Elphaba. I'm sorry.'

'Don't apologise,' his father said, waving his hand dismissively, clearly lost in thought. 'If this is true… Sweet Oz, that is awful. Poor girl.'

'We have to tell them,' Boq insisted, and his mother looked at his father meaningfully. Mr. Parlone nodded solemnly. 'We're leaving for Shiz tonight.'

* * *

'Miss? Are you okay?'

Elphaba was focused solely on her breathing – _in, out, in, out_ – to keep herself from fainting, but she still had the common sense to pull her hood further over her face. 'Yes, yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about it.'

The passer-by eyed her warily, clearly not believing her, but eventually he shrugged and moved along. Elphaba sank to the floor, propping herself up against a wall. Waves of dizziness had overcome her for the past few days, ever since she left Turin and Lavel, along with the morning sickness; sometimes she felt as if she was going to faint. She had sneaked into a village library once to read a few books on pregnancy, and she had discovered that dizziness and fainting were not uncommon with pregnant women, but it was highly annoying. She was supposed to _travel_, for Oz's sake, but at this rate, she barely made a few miles a day; she had to stop every ten minutes or so to throw up, catch her breath, or wait for a fit of dizziness to pass.

She was getting closer to Shiz, however. Her progress was slow, but it was there nonetheless; she probably had only a few days left before she would reach the university – thank Oz.

She tried not to think too much. Thinking was painful. She didn't want to think about Fiyero, Galinda or Nessa, because then she'd inevitably dwell on the question whether they knew she was alive or not and she really didn't want to think about that. Somehow, she had become convinced of Fiyero's love for her, and it hurt her to no end to imagine him thinking she was dead. What would he do? Would he become Mr. Dancing-Through-Life again, in an attempt to soothe the pain? Would he go on with his life? Would he talk to Galinda and Nessa, would he cry, would he stop studying and get kicked out of school again?

And then there was Boq to think about, which didn't make her feel any better, either, because she couldn't help but imagine her father finding out that the Munchkin boy had helped her and all the awful things he could do to him. Boq murdered by the Governor. Boq thrown in jail. Boq and his family banished from Munchkinland with nowhere to go.

And so she merely stopped herself from thinking too much. She thought about which road she had to take to get to Shiz, and where to spend the night, but she never thought of Shiz itself, or of home. What she did think about, however, was her baby.

She had never really thought about having children before. She had merely just assumed there would never be a man to show any interest in her, and so she wouldn't have to think about children. She hadn't exactly been happy, either, when she had found out; just worried, and then the situation with her father… She had felt from the beginning, however, that she didn't want to lose this baby, and that feeling had only become stronger over time. There was a life growing inside of her, a life created by herself and Fiyero… There was something magical about that. She smiled slightly at that thought. 'Don't worry, baby,' she whispered to her still very flat stomach. 'I'm going to keep you safe.'

* * *

Galinda hadn't bothered to lock her door, but she was still startled when Boq and his parents stormed in late one night, looking bewildered. 'Galinda?'

She lifted her tear-stricken face. 'Boq? What are you doing here? I thought you weren't supposed to come back for another day or…'

He shook his head violently. 'This was way too important. Galinda, where is Nessa? And Fiyero?'

She burst into tears again and only then did he notice the mascara smudges that were already on her face, and the fact that she was sitting on Elphaba's bed, clutching her friend's pillow. 'Galinda, I can't elaborate right now, because I have to find Nessa and Fiyero first, but I can tell you this: Elphaba is not dead. My Mom will explain everything. Please come to my room in about half an hour, I'll make sure Nessa and Fiyero will be there, too.' He hurried out of the room again, leaving Galinda wide-eyed and completely baffled in her own dorm room. His mother said down next to the poor confused girl to talk to her.

He managed to persuade Morrible to let him see Nessa, then, and he told her the same thing he had Galinda, leaving yet another girl in some kind of incredulous confusion before he ran off again, this time leaving his father behind to talk to Nessa.

'Avaric!' Boq yelled when he saw a group of fellow students sway around campus, clearly drunk. 'Have you seen Fiyero?'

'Yeah,' the boy slurred, almost toppling over when he turned around. 'Stupid fellah. Went to drink with us every night, but refused tonight. And it was my birthday! He just missed my birthday! Not that he's any fun otherwise, he's always moping about his dead girlfriend. Not that I understand why anyone would be crying over a stupid artichoke-'

In that clock-tick, Boq forgot how small and non-muscular he was in comparison to the older boy; a fit of rage overcame him and he lurched forward and punched Avaric in the face. Not nearly hard enough to break his nose, as Fiyero had done before, but according to Avaric's facial expression it had been hard enough to hurt him and that was good enough.

'Where _is _he, Avaric?'

'Dunnow,' Avaric muttered indignantly, rubbing his sore jaw. 'Said something about Suicide Canal. Wanting to jump in or something. Being all dramatic. 'Don't want to live anymore', that sort of crap. Guess he should jump, perhaps the water'll clear his head.' Avaric and his friends found that very funny, but Boq paled visibly and started running, inwardly cursing Fiyero with every foul word he had ever heard of, desperately hoping he would not be too late.

* * *

**See what I mean, Hailey? *smirks* It's not Galinda who will be finding him, however, but Boq... but still.**


	15. Telling Truths

**AN: Thank you for your wonderful reviews! Here's the next update - that didn't take too long, did it? ^^ Yes, you can still/again kill Frex if you like, no, of _course _I'm not going to kill Fiyero - that would defeat the whole purpose of the fluffly reunion thing, wouldn't it?**

**Hailey, I love you too (not that way, you know, but your reviewing ;-) and Fae the Queen, welcome back :). And everyone else just thanks for reviewing. Yay :D.**

**Oh by the way, for those interested: I also updated Dangers, Friends, & Endless Love - finally ;-).**

* * *

Boq ran towards the bridge spanning Suicide Canal – _the irony of that name! _– and only kept running when he saw Fiyero standing on top of the railing, steadying himself with one hand against a pole. 'Fiyero!' he yelled and the other boy looked up. 'Don't come any closer,' he warned the Munchkin boy. 'If you come even one step closer, I'll jump!'

Boq came slipping to a halt, but kept yelling. 'Fiyero Tiggular, you stupid dramatic _idiot_! What do you think you're _doing_?!'

'If I can't live with Elphaba, I don't want to live at all!' he shouted back, his voice thick with emotion. Boq felt sorry for him, he really did, but right now he just wanted to shove the boy off the bridge himself for his dramatic stupidity. Instead, he stomped his foot. 'Get down here right now! I need to talk to you!' He _really _didn't want to throw this news at Fiyero when the Vinkun Prince was still standing on top of a bridge, ready to jump off it, but soon he wouldn't have a choice anymore.

'I'm sorry, Boq,' Fiyero said quietly, barely audible over the wind. 'I'm going to do this. I can't do this anymore. Not without her. If she's gone, than so am I.'

Boq gave in. 'She's not gone, you big giant oaf!' he shouted, stomping his foot again in frustration. 'Elphaba is alive!'

_That _caught his attention. He stared at Boq in amazement. 'What did you say?'

'I said that Elphaba is alive!' Boq repeated in exasperation. 'But I'm not going to tell you anything else unless you get your royal butt down here right now!'

Boq had never seen someone move so quickly – the Vinkun Prince was standing next to him within a clock-tick. 'Tell me.'

'Come with me,' Boq countered and started walking, leaving Fiyero no other choice than to follow him.

* * *

'Sir! Governor Thropp!'

Frex looked up from his conversation with the mayor of Murtown irritably. 'What?' he snapped. 'Can't you see I'm busy?'

His servant was panting. 'Excuse me, Governor, but I thought you might want to know this straight away… You were right, she's been here. One Master Yorgo claims to have seen a green girl.'

Frex immediately cut off his conversation and turned towards the scruffy-looking man next to the servant. 'Is that you?'

'Yeah, I'm Yorgo,' the man said, scratching his behind absent-mindedly. 'Ya lookin' for a green girl? Saw one few days ago. Little bitch. Tried t' talk her into a nice little adventure with me, but sh' didn't want to. 'nd then that annoying Turin came, dunnow why he always interrupts me just when it looks like 'm winning… 's like he senses when a damsel is in distress.' He found that very funny, but Frex only felt his irritability grow. 'Where did she go, Yorgo?'

'Dunnow,' the man muttered. 'Didn't say. Turin took her with 'm.'

'Where is this Master Turin?' Frex demanded, but the mayor shook his head. 'I tried to talk to him and his wife already, Governor Thropp. They claim to have never seen a green girl in their lives – Turin actually laughed at me at the mere suggestion of a person being green.'

'That could have been a way to trick us,' Frex grumbled. 'Take me to this Master Turin. Let's see if _I _can get him to talk.'

The mayor nodded bleakly, but just when they started to walk, another servant approached them, panting just as loudly as the first one. 'Governor Thropp!'

Frex cast his eyes heavenwards. 'What _now_?'

'Governor… We found her!'

The servant had Frex's attention immediately. 'Where?'

'She's been seen in a town not too far from here,' the servant told him. 'Arden. It's a rather large town, and we're not _absolutely _positive it's her… but several people said that they have seen a young girl covered in a black cloak. No one has seen her face… or her skin colour.'

'That has to be her,' Frex muttered. 'Of course she tries to hide that hideodeous green from the outside world, or everyone would run away from her.' He snarled. 'Take me to her. I'm going to show my daughter what happens when she disobeys her father.' He flexed his fingers and his eyes became dark. 'And trust me, it's not going to be pretty.'

* * *

Elphaba decided to retreat for the night in the forest near Arden, the town where she had been travelling through that day, and to go on in the morning. She was exhausted and she knew she needed the rest or she wouldn't be able to go on at all.

She wrapped herself into the blanket and settled on the forest floor in a small clearing, gazing up at the stars that twinkled in between the tree branches above her. She sighed as she remembered her and Fiyero's first date, nearly five months ago already. It had been beautiful there, at the lake… it had been perfect. _How could things have gone so wrong in such a small amount of time?_

She yawned, which really didn't help her push away the memory.

'_I'm sorry. Blame the hour, not the company.'_

'_I don't think it's unladylike at all. You look adorable when you yawn. Really, it looks cute.'_

Oh, how she wishes he was here now to tell her that she looked cute when she yawned. Or… well, to do anything, really. As long as he was here.

'Dream on, Elphaba,' she murmured to herself, rolling over to her side. She gently pressed one hand against her stomach. She knew it was stupid, especially since the baby couldn't even hear her, but she had been talking to it for a few days now. It made her feel less lonely, somehow… and it reminded her of why she was doing this.

'Hi, baby,' she said softly. 'You okay in there? I wish I could feel you move, but according to the pregnancy books, I'll probably have to wait another ten weeks or so for that to happen.'

She paused. 'It's strange, you know that? To know that you're inside of me. But it's an amazing idea, too. I wish I could meet you, I want to see how you look… I hope you get your father's good looks. And skin colour, if that's not too much to ask. But I know that I will love you no matter what, whether you're normal, green, or purple with orange stripes.' She paused again. 'And though I can't speak for your father… I think he wouldn't care, either. I hope he wouldn't…'

She started tracing patterns on her flat stomach with her index finger. 'Hey baby, could you do me a favour? I'm looking for your father, and I'm almost there, but you're making this pretty difficult for me. So if you could cut it down a little on the nausea and the dizziness, that would be wonderful. Just until I get to your father, okay? I'm sure you'll be thrilled to meet him. He's wonderful…'

She turned to lie on her back and gaze up at the night sky again. 'And your Auntie Nessa, too. And Boq. He saved your life, you know that? If it weren't for him, you probably wouldn't be here right now… And then you get to meet Galinda, too – I'm going to let you call her Auntie Galinda, because she's as much a sister to me as Nessa is. I just hope your hearing hasn't developed yet when you meet her, because I swear to you, she's going to destroy your hearing as soon a she does meet you with those ridiculous squeals of her.' She chuckled softly, but a bit sadly. How she missed Galinda's squeals right now.

'We're almost there,' she whispered. 'The next town we'll come across will be Shiz, and after the town, it's only a few more miles until the university. Just hang on, baby. Everything will be okay, I promise.'

She fell silent and closed her eyes, and she had almost drifted off to sleep when she heard something. Her eyes snapped open immediately and she sat up and looked around, vigilantly. A branch snapping. Footsteps… and then the face that had been haunting her nightmares for the past few weeks.

'Elphaba Melena Thropp,' Frex said in a dangerously low voice. 'It seems I finally found you.'

* * *

'I'm going to start at the very beginning, so please don't interrupt me until I finish,' Boq began, looking around the room sternly. His parents were standing in a corner and Galinda was perched on the bed beside him, next to where Nessa was sitting in her chair. Fiyero had occupied the seat at Boq's desk and was eyeing the Munchkin boy eagerly, as if Boq were about to change into an angel – _or Elphaba_ – any moment. There was a light in his eyes that hadn't been there the weeks before, and when he saw that, Boq knew he had made the right decision.

He repeated in short the part about the carriage accident, which Nessa had already told them, only this time, it was followed by the truth. 'So Doctor Dandaron came back with the results from the blood test, and… well… Nessa, perhaps you should tell this part. You were there, after all – I wasn't.'

Nessa flushed and looked down at her hands resting in her lap. Then she looked up and met Fiyero's gaze. 'Fiyero… before I say anything else, I want you to know that I didn't tell you because… with Elphaba, well, gone… I was afraid it would only hurt you more,' she said softly. 'I never meant to intentionally keep it from you, but I thought there wasn't anything you could have done anymore anyway… Please forgive me for not telling you.'

'Not telling me what, Nessa?' Fiyero demanded, apprehensive now. The girl gave a shaky sigh and said, 'Elphaba was pregnant.'

Fiyero gaped at her. 'What?'

'She was pregnant,' Nessa whispered. 'Six weeks back then…' Fiyero quickly did the maths and came to the conclusion that it had to have been the night of the masquerade – he could have concluded that without doing the maths, of course, since that night had actually been the only night they'd ever slept together… but still.

'But father… Oh, he was so mad,' Nessa went on, tears springing to her eyes. 'They argued about it. Father hit her, and he called her the most horrendible things. He… He told her that you wouldn't stay with her, that you didn't really love her… That you'd never marry her if you found out.'

Fiyero paled visibly. 'Did she believe him?'

Nessa smiled faintly at the memory and shook her head. 'No. No, she didn't. Not in the slightest – or perhaps she did, but didn't show it. She kept yelling at him that you loved her and that you would marry her, but father… he didn't budge. Then, he called in Doctor Dandaron again and asked him if it was not too late yet to terminate the pregnancy.'

Fiyero gasped and became even paler, until the others were worried he would faint. 'He didn't… did he?' the prince croaked, and Nessa hesitated, because she didn't know – she had no idea what had happened after she left. 'He was planning to,' she said softly. 'He made an appointment for her the next morning to have them take the baby away. I tried to talk him out of it, really, I did, but he just wouldn't listen… That was the last time I saw her. She had to stay overnight at the hospital, and I went back home with father. That was the night she… died.'

'Except that she didn't,' Boq added, taking over again. 'I was there, too, staying overnight because of my concussion, and late that night, she snuck into my room. She had made several escape attempts by then, none of them successful, and she was attempting to escape again when she accidentally hid in my room. I… You should have seen her. She was so scared, so vulnerable, yet so determined to not let them take away her child… I didn't have another choice but to help her. And so I snuck her out of my hospital room window. I have no idea where she went, but she ran. She got away.'

'She… She escaped?' Fiyero croaked. 'And… She still has the baby?'

Boq nodded solemnly. 'As far as I know, yes.'

'Sweet Oz,' Nessa whispered. 'But father… How could he lie about that? How could he do such a horrendible thing?'

'Because he's a horrendible man, Nessa,' Boq told her bitterly, and he told them about Frex's threats. 'That's why I didn't tell you before. I wrote you a letter, Nessa, the moment I realised you were gone, but your father intercepted it and destroyed it. I got scared after that… and I'm sorry. But when I received your letters, I just _had _to tell you.'

Galinda, teary-eyed, hugged him. 'Thank you for telling us, Boq.'

Fiyero looked as if he were in some kind of shock and so Galinda asked the question she knew he would want to know the answer to, 'Do you know where she was planning on going?'

Boq shook his head. 'I haven't got the slightest clue. I'm not even sure she knew herself back then. All she knew was that she had to get away… But she did ask me about you, Fiyero, right before she left.'

The prince looked up at the other boy. 'She did?'

Boq nodded. 'She asked me if I thought you would stay with her if you knew.'

Fiyero drew in his breath sharply. 'What did you say?'

'That you would, of course.' Boq looked at his friend as if though he were crazy. 'You would, wouldn't you?'

'Of course,' Fiyero snapped. 'She means the words to me! I can't imagine something as wonderful as having a baby with her!'

'That's what I told her,' said Boq. 'It seemed to confirm her own beliefs. She seemed a little relieved, and… stronger, I guess. She told me she couldn't let them take her baby away… and so I helped her. But, Fiyero, my point is… She was asking about you. I think she's going to find her way back to you – if everything goes well.'

Fiyero flushed. 'She's pregnant! She's all by herself! What if she gets lost, or if someone else finds her? What if someone tries to take her back to her father? What if…'

'Oh, will you shut up!' Galinda snapped. 'We _get _that many things could've gone wrong. That's why we're going to search for her!' She looked at Boq. 'Leave your parents here at Shiz. I think with Frex threatening you that going back might not be safe for them.'

Boq nodded and his parents agreed immediately. Galinda promised to write her parents right away and make them arrange for a place for Mr. and Mrs. Parlone to stay.

'I'm going to stay here, too, and look for her around here,' Galinda announced. 'And just in case she does find her way back to Shiz and comes back here.'

'I'll help you,' Boq offered and Fiyero looked at Nessa. 'I'm going to Munchkinland and start my search from there. Are you coming?'

She nodded bleakly. 'I need to talk to my father.'

'Good. That's settled, then.' Boq got up from his bed and put one hand on Fiyero's shoulder consolingly. 'We'll find her, Fiyero. Don't worry.'

* * *

Elphaba didn't waste any time. The moment she recognised her father, she was on her feet and she was running, not caring in what direction as long as it was away from him.

Frex swore under his breath and started running as well, a few of his servants trailing behind him, but he just couldn't catch up with her. Damn, even in her current state, that girl was _fast_. He ran as fast as his feet could carry him, but he had lost her and he couldn't locate her again.

As for Elphaba, she had ran until she had been out of sight and then she had done the one thing she had always done when she tried to escape something or someone – she shot up a tree. She climbed as high as she possibly could without making any noise, and she watched, her heart pounding, as Frex and his servants passed her tree without as much as glancing up and disappeared in the distance.

She let out a long, shaky breath, but stayed put for a while longer. Just in case.

* * *

When Galinda, who had been travelling around the towns surrounding Shiz by carriage for the past few days, saw Frex and a few panting servants coming out of a forest, she knew she had found Elphaba.

She paid the carriage driver and told him to wait before she ran towards the forest as fast as her high heels could carry her. She hadn't really expected to find Elphaba near Arden – it was a town where everyone knew everyone, so it would not be too good an idea for a green girl to hide there. Galinda had almost not came there, but now, she was immensely glad she had. She slowed down and looked around alertly, searching for any sign of Elphaba. When she was a vague trace of a green leg somewhere up in a tree, a big smile graced her lips.

She'd found her friend.

* * *

Elphaba watched warily as someone approached, huddling on a branch to try and make herself invisible. When the person came closer, however, she frowned. It didn't look like Frex or one of his servant. It looked like a pink powder puff. Her heart sped up a little. Could it be…?

Her suspicions were confirmed when the powder puff started jumping up and down and produced a squealing sound that could really only come from one person. 'Elphieeeeeee!'

Elphaba dropped down from the tree and stared at her friend, not believing the sight in front of her. 'Galinda?'

Another squeal and before she knew it, the petite blonde had flung herself at her friend and was hugging her so tightly she could barely breathe, but she didn't care. Elphaba hugged her back, crying once again, but this time with relief. She made it. Galinda was here and everything would be okay.

'Oh, _Elphie_!' Galinda sniffed. 'Thank Oz I finally found you! It was horrendible! First we thought you were dead, and that was _awful_, but then Boq came and told us about what happened and we started looking for you but you were nowhere to be found… And then I came here and I saw Frex and I knew you had to be here and oh Elphie I'm so glad to have you back!'

Elphaba smiled, still hugging her friend. 'I'm so happy you found me,' she whispered, which made Galinda cry even harder. 'Oh, Fiyero is going to be so thrillified! And Nessa! She was so worried about you! Oh, I have to write to them immediately!'

'Write? Where are they?' Elphaba asked, slightly alarmed. Galinda looked a bit sheepish. 'They went to Munchkinland. To look for you, and to talk to Frex… But they'll be back as soon as they hear this, of course, and oh Elphie look at me I'm rambling! Let's just take you back to Shiz, shall we?'

'Or,' a new voice suggested in a cold tone, 'perhaps you'd consider just turning her over to me.'

They turned around to see Frex standing there, servants flanking him at both sides. He looked pointedly at one of them and the servant shot forward and pressed a knife against Galinda's throat. The blonde gasped and Elphaba stiffened. 'Let her go.'

'Don't think I won't do it,' Frex growled. 'I'd rather not have to, but I will _not _let you bring down this shame upon our family, Elphaba. Never. So I'm giving you a choice. Either you come with me and I'll let your blonde friend go, or we're going to do this the hard way and I'm going to hurt her, bit by bit, until you give in and come with me anyway.'

As if that were a sign, the servant holding Galinda pressed his knife closer against her throat and she squeaked. 'Elphie, no!'

'Fine!' Elphaba shouted, feeling helpless as she watched her friend being hurt. 'I'll go with you! Just let her go!' She couldn't let anything happen to Galinda. She just couldn't.

Frex grinned wickedly. 'A wise decision.' He made a gesture and the servant released Galinda. Before Elphaba could even move, there was a hard object connecting with the back of her head and everything went black.

* * *

**You can kill me if you like, but then you'll never find out what happens next! *smirk***


	16. Miracles Happen

**AN: Now, that wasn't a long wait, was it? I just really love writing this, so I get carried away a little, hence two updates in one day :P. The next one might just be tonight... or else tomorrow at the latest. And yes, this chapter does actually contain happy news ^^.**

**Oh, and a special mention plus virtual hugs and home-made apple pie for ChaoticSymphonyofDarkness, for providing this story with the 100th review! Hurray! :D**

* * *

After Galinda had watched in horror as Frex took an unconscious Elphaba away – but not before threatening that he would not hesitate to kill the bubbly blonde if she told anyone about this – she had made her way back to Shiz as soon as she could. She, Boq and his parents had deliberated and had decided that she and Boq were going to travel after Fiyero and Nessa to Munchkinland immediately.

So they did, and they arrived at the Governor's mansion only to find a anxious Fiyero and Nessarose staying there. 'Father hasn't been here in days, apparently,' Nessa told them worriedly. 'He hasn't told anyone where he was going, but a servant had overheard him saying that he had to go and look for his daughter… I fear he has gone after Elphaba.'

'And he found her, too,' Galinda said grimly before telling them the story of what had happened. Fiyero blanched and clenched his fists. 'He _has _her?!'

Galinda nodded wearily. 'I'm so sorry, Fiyero… There wasn't anything I could do.'

He started pacing. 'Now what? Where do you think he'll take her? Will he bring her back here?'

'Probably,' said Galinda. 'I don't know where else he would take her.'

Fiyero grimaced. 'Well, when he gets back here, we'll be waiting for him.'

'This is it,' Nessa suddenly declared. 'This has to stop. Galinda, I need you to go to town with me.'

The blonde looked surprised. 'To do what?'

Nessa took a deep breath, not believing what she was about to say, but knowing it had to happen. 'To talk to the mayor. I want my father to be arrested.'

Galinda gasped and Boq and Fiyero looked at the wheelchair-bound girl wide-eyed. 'Nessa… Are you sure?' Galinda asked, kneeling down besides the chair. Nessa nodded firmly. 'I love my father, and I know he loves me too, but I can no longer ignore what he is doing to Elphaba – what he has been doing all her life… This is it. He has abused my sister, kidnapped her, tried to take away her unborn baby against her will – he has threatened Boq and his family, and Galinda… I can't do this anymore. It has to stop. We can all testify against him and… I don't know what will happen, but whatever it is, it must be better than this.'

Fiyero suddenly hugged the girl. 'Thank you, Nessa.'

Galinda and Boq hugged her, too. 'This is very brave of you, Nessie,' Boq told her lovingly. 'I'm proud of you.'

She beamed at him for a moment. 'So, Galinda… will you come with me? You boys should stay here, in case my father returns today,' she said to the boys, who both nodded. 'All right.'

'We'll be back late this afternoon,' Nessa promised before she wheeled herself outside, soon followed by Galinda.

* * *

When Elphaba opened her eyes, she was locked in a cage. An actual _cage_, as if she were an animal. She gritted her teeth and took in her surroundings. A carriage apparently, for she felt the rocking movements of a moving vehicle – movements that caused her to crouch in a corner of the cage and retch onto the floor. When she was done, she was still slightly nauseous and dizzy, but the worst had passed and so she had time to think.

She was trapped – again. And so she had to escape, before her father could do anything to her or her unborn child – _again_. She gingerly placed one hand on her stomach. 'Don't worry, baby,' she whispered. 'I promised you everything would be okay, didn't I? I'm going to keep you safe, I promise.'

'I wouldn't count on it,' a cold voice said and she jumped. Now that her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she could make out the form of a man sitting across from her cage, staring at her with his snake-like eyes. Frex. Fury immediately rushed through her veins as she straightened her shoulders. 'Let me out.'

His reply was simple. 'No.'

'You can't keep me locked up against my will. You can't take my baby away from me. I won't let you.'

'We'll see about that.'

Anger built inside her and she felt the familiar feeling surge through her veins. She smiled slightly. This one time, she didn't try to hold it back. Just this once, she was happy that it was there. 'I said let me out.'

He met her gaze and snarled, 'Never.'

That was enough for her powers to break loose, destroying the cage around her. Frex jumped and stared at her wide-eyed as a new wave of dizziness overcame her and she had to support herself with one hand against the wall of the carriage, whimpering softly, 'Please, baby, not now. Not now,' but she couldn't help herself – she felt she was going to faint. Frex, unfortunately, recovered quickly – _too _quickly – and grabbed her, pulling her to him. 'You can't stop me, Elphaba. You're in no condition to stop me. Look at you – one pathetic outburst of that sinful _magic _of yours and you nearly black out!'

Again, she felt the surge, but different this time. She squeezed her eyes shut and focused on her breathing, in and out, as she tried to comprehend what was happening. She wasn't doing this. These weren't her powers, she knew that much… but they were _feeding _off her own powers. Was that even possible? What did that mean? Her eyes snapped open when she realised what was going on and she gasped. 'The baby!'

'The baby what?' Frex asked suspiciously. 'Are you in labour? Perhaps _that _would be best – it would save me the effort of having Dandaron removing it. It would never survive at this stage.'

She didn't answer him, her mind was raging. Was it even _possible _for a baby to have powers in the womb? She hadn't thought so, but… well, it certainly seemed that way.

As the power built inside of her, she was feeling worse and worse, until she knew for a fact she was going to faint. She could only pray that she'd manage to get away once she woke up again.

The moment she lost consciousness, the powers inside of her reached their climax and were released.

* * *

Fiyero and Boq had been sitting around at the Governor's mansion all day when suddenly, around three o'clock in the afternoon, someone entered the house. Boq turned around. 'Nessa, Galinda? Is that you?'

When Frex entered the room, however, his face one big thundercloud, the Munchkin boy faltered. Fiyero, on the other hand, didn't. Before Frex could even blink, the Vinkun Prince had ran up to him and punched him in the face – _hard_. 'Where is she?'

'None of your business,' Frex managed to croak before Fiyero punched him again, effectively breaking the man's jaw with a loud _snap_, and wrapped his hands around Frex's throat, lifting him up against the wall. 'You're going to tell me where she is, or I swear to Lurline, I'm going to slowly cut off _everything _you have down there that you _really _don't want me to cut off, before ripping off your head and-'

'Fiyero,' Boq interrupted him sternly. 'That's enough of that.'

'Not nearly,' Fiyero grunted, tightening his grip. Boq gently put his hand on the other boy's shoulder. 'He can't talk if you keep strangling him.'

He had a point, of course, and Fiyero released the older man slightly. Frex glared at Boq. 'You just sacrificed your family, young Munchkin boy.'

Boq calmly shook his head. 'They're not in Munchkinland anymore. You don't have any authority over them.'

'Tell me where she is,' Fiyero insisted through gritted teeth, and Frex let out a mirthless laugh. 'You want to know where she is? Fine. She's gone. _Again_.'

Fiyero tightened his grip again. 'What do you mean, she's gone?' he demanded, and Frex coughed uncomfortably. 'I _mean_, the little witch managed to escape. _Again_.'

A wave of relief washed over Fiyero and he stumbled slightly as he released Frex. 'She got away?'

Frex nodded sourly, rubbing his throat. 'I _had _her. She tried to use her powers on me, but all she managed to do was break out of the cage I had put her in before she fainted again. She was _unconscious _and she still managed to get away. She should burn, the evil witch!' Frex spat, and Fiyero pinned the man to the wall again. 'You put her in a _cage_?!'

'There he is!' a new voice shouted and they looked up to find Nessa and Galinda in the doorway, followed by a group of soldiers that marched into the house and took Frex from Fiyero. 'Are you sure about this, Miss?' the mayor, who had come with them, asked Nessa hesitantly. 'He is the Governor of Munchkinland… What is he being accused of?'

'I can testify that he has abused and kidnapped my sister,' Nessa replied calmly, 'and that he tried to take her unborn baby away from her against her free will. My friend, Boq Parlone, can testify that the Governor threatened to kill him and his family, and my father also threatened another friend of mine with death. Miss Galinda Upland.' She looked at the mayor solemnly and added significantly, 'of the _Upper _Uplands.'

Clearly, that name meant something to the mayor – as it did to almost everyone – because his eyes widened. The mayor turned towards Galinda. 'Is that true, Miss Upland?'

Galinda nodded solemnly. 'Yes. And I'm _quite _willing to testify.'

'We'll come back to take your statements later, Miss Nessarose,' the mayor assured the girl. 'Where is your sister? I'm going to need her statement, too.'

Nessa grimaced. 'She's… My father tried to kidnap her again, but she escaped. We don't know where she is.'

'I'll make sure my men will search for her,' the mayor promised her before leaving the house. When the soldiers dragged Frex past his daughter, he struggled. 'Nessa! Nessa, my darling, my precious girl, there must be a mistake – you can't do this to me!'

'What you tried to do to Elphaba was a lot worse,' the girl said quietly before the soldiers took her father away. She sighed shakily and Boq put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. 'You did the right thing, Nessa.'

She smiled tiredly at him. 'I know.'

Fiyero was frowning. 'What did he mean, she was unconscious and she still managed to get away?'

Boq shrugged. 'I'm not sure. Perhaps something to do with her powers?'

Fiyero grunted and buried his face in his hands. 'We have to find her.'

* * *

One moment, Elphaba had been convinced that she was fainting and she had felt that strange outburst of power; the next moment, she found herself smacking down into the grass, next to the carriage. The carriage itself was lying on its side, two wheels still rotating in the air, and Frex was trapped underneath it, cursing and swearing with all his might. She didn't know what had happened, exactly, but she didn't waste any time. She took a few deep breaths to steady herself, then scrambled to her feet and fled into the forest, Frex's angry screames echoing from behind her.

She ran until she reached a main traveller's road. There, she took a moment to catch her breath. 'Thank you, baby,' she whispered to her stomach. 'I didn't know you could do that, but it was amazing. You saved us both.'

Her heart sank when she realised where she was, however. She had been so close to Shiz before, so close… and now she was back in Munchkinland. Near the borders, but still much too far away from Shiz for her liking.

She sighed and sat down with her back against a tree trunk. What was she supposed to do now? Start all over again? At this rate, it would take her _weeks _to get to Shiz.

A new wave of dizziness and nausea overcame her and she threw up the little food she had choked down that day into the bushes. She didn't notice a carriage passing by on the main road, nor did she see that it stopped a few meters past her and someone came out. She only noticed the man when he put a hand on her shoulder and she jumped. 'I'm sorry, Miss, I didn't mean to scare you. Are you all right?'

'Yes… Yes, I'm fine,' she said quickly, wanting to hurry the man along – or more like a boy, she noticed when she took a closer look at him. He could not be more than a few years older than she was.

His eyes, however, had widened and she realised with a start that her hood had fallen off. She opened her mouth to explain, but he was faster in exclaiming, 'Sweet Oz, this is too good to be true!'

She eyed him warily. 'Excuse me?'

'You _are _Elphaba, right? Elphaba Thropp?'

'That depends on who's asking,' she replied vigilantly, stepping away from him. He laughed and shook his head. 'I'm sorry, I was just so surprised. I mean, here we were, on our way to help them look for you, and here you are!'

Another wave of nausea, but for an entirely different reason. 'You came to look for me?' Did her father send this man? She stepped away again, even though the boy didn't really seem that dangerous to her. On the contrary. He looked relieved.

'Again, I'm sorry,' he apologised. 'I'm being rude. I'm Paro.'

Now _her _eyes widened. 'Paro, as in… Fiyero's best friend and cousin, Paro?'

He bowed for her. 'The one and only. Man, I don't believe this! Mr. and Mrs. Tiggular, look who I just found!' he called back to the carriage, and Elphaba's eyes widened even further when the King and Queen of the Vinkus – Fiyero's _parents _– stepped out of the carriage and stared at her. 'Elphaba?'

She looked back at Paro, speechless. 'How…'

'Fiyero wrote to us,' the King said, approaching her. 'He told us what had happened to you, what your father had done. We set out immediately for Munchkinland to stand by him and perhaps help him in his search.'

She was baffled. 'Fiyero is here? In Munchkinland?'

The Queen smiled. 'There's a lot you don't know yet. This is a little bit strange, isn't it? Let us introduce ourselves first – I'm Eleonore, but you can call me Lori.'

The King snorted and Elphaba couldn't help but smile when she thought of what Fiyero had told her about his parents. 'And this is my husband,' Lori continued, 'Hamold. You've already met Paro, I see – I suppose Fiyero told you about us all.'

She nodded mutely, and the Queen came a little bit closer and took Elphaba's hands in hers. 'My, I just don't believe that we actually stumbled upon you like this… Are you all right, sweetheart?'

Elphaba tried to smile, but instead, she burst into tears. Lori immediately hugged her close, rubbing her back soothingly and whispering reassuring words in her ear. King Hamold and Paro watched from a small distance until the green girl managed to compose herself a little and pulled back. 'I'm sorry,' she sniffed, but Lori cut her off immediately. 'Don't be, honey. You've been through so much! Let's get you inside the carriage, shall we?' Without waiting for a reply, she gently but firmly took Elphaba's arm and guided the girl inside the carriage. Once inside, she wrapped a blanket around the shivering girl and rubbed her arms. 'Paro, get me some food and something to drink, will you?' she called out to the boy still standing outside, and he nodded and returned within minutes with a few pieces of fruit and some water. Lori managed to get Elphaba to eat and drink something, while the others re-entered the carriage as well and the driver started steering the horses back onto the road.

Lori looked at the green girl solemnly. 'Elphaba, will you tell us what happened exactly?'

And so she told them the whole story, from the carriage accident, nearly three weeks ago already, until her miraculous escape that afternoon. Fiyero's parents and Paro listened without interrupting her, and when she was done, Hamold shook his head indignantly. 'When we get to your house, I'm going to have a long and painful word with your father,' he promised her. 'What he has done is _not _acceptable in the slightest.'

Lori hugged her again. 'Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry for what happened to you! You must have been terrified!'

'I was,' she admitted in a whisper, her eyes filling up with tears once again. This time it was Paro who hugged her. She didn't even feel awkward about it – he reminded her so much of Fiyero, and she could understand already why the two of them were friends. 'I'm sorry, too,' Paro told her. 'But you're safe now. We're going to take you to Fiyero.'

That only made her cry harder. She wasn't sure why exactly; relief, joy, a late reaction to everything that had happened… or just hormones. Probably a combination of all of those. She was exhausted, and she cried herself to sleep. The last thing she heard was Hamold commanding the driver to keep going through the night in order to get to the Governor's mansion sooner.

She woke up again in the middle of the night, with her head resting on Paro's shoulder, and she sat up quickly, feeling a bit embarrassed. Paro, Hamold and Lori seemed to be asleep – although Lori wasn't asleep just yet. She watched Elphaba from between her eyelashes, not wanting the green girl to know that she was awake yet.

Elphaba sighed shakily as she looked out the window and closed her eyes briefly before looking down at her stomach, a small smile playing around her lips. 'We're safe, baby,' she whispered. 'No one is going to take you away from me now. You're safe. We're both safe.'

Lori watched the scene without Elphaba noticing so. She watched the pregnant girl talking to her unborn baby, telling it that it was safe, and it broke Lori's heart. No woman should have to worry about herself and her child being safe. No woman should have to get used to the idea that her baby would not be taken away from her. The Queen was horrified by what Frex had done, and she was determined to tell him so the moment she'd lay eyes on him.

* * *

When Fiyero, who had been sleeping on the couch, heard a carriage pull up outside the mansion, he tensed up immediately. Who could that be? It was the middle of the night, for Oz's sake!

He got up and made his way towards the front door, opening it just a crack to peer outside. When he saw his best friend Paro getting out of the carriage, however, he opened the door entirely and stared at his cousin in awe. 'Paro? What are you doing here?'

The boy grinned at his friend. 'Bringing you a surprise.' Fiyero's parents came out next and Fiyero called in surprise, 'Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?'

'We got your letter,' his father told him, hugging his son briefly. 'And we decided to come over to see if we could help. Of course, we never expected what happened during our journey here…'

Fiyero grew a little anxious. 'What happened? Have you been in an accident or something? Are you all right?'

'We're fine, Yero,' his mother assured him, hugging him as well. 'There wasn't an accident. It was more like… a surprise. A very nice one.'

Fiyero grew a bit irritated. 'I thought you guys were the surprise. What kind of surprise are we talking about here?'

Paro grinned at him. 'Oh, no, your parents weren't the surprise at all! I was talking about something a little more… green?'

Fiyero stared at his friend, trying to wrap his still sleepy mind around what the other boy was saying, until his mother couldn't take it anymore. 'Paro, stop teasing your cousin already and help the girl out,' Lori chided Paro gently, and the boy bowed and poked his head back into the carriage, a playful grin on his face. 'Milady?' He offered her his hand to help her out, tightening his grip when he became aware of the fact that she actually needed his support to steady herself.

Fiyero's eyes grew wide as saucers as Paro gently helped Elphaba out of the carriage. Only then did she look up and their eyes locked immediately.

It seemed like forever, but in reality it was just a few clock-ticks before she said softly, incredulously, 'Yero?' and he snapped out of his trance and ran towards her, catching her in his arms and swirling her around in the air, crushing her to him. 'Fae…'

She looked at him and said the words she couldn't say before, but was more than ready to say now. 'I love you.'

He drew in his breath and she started crying as she told him breathlessly, 'I love you, Yero. I love you so much, and I'm so sorry I couldn't say it before, but being away from you-'

He interrupted her by pressing his lips against hers, and she melted into his kiss, closing her eyes and relishing in the moment, the feeling of his lips against hers, of his arms around her, of having him _near _her. He pulled back after a while, never letting go of her as he eyed her up and down. 'Are you all right?'

She smiled at him and pressed her cheek against his chest, closing her eyes as a new wave of dizziness overcame her. 'I am now.'

He held her close and rested his chin on the top of her head, watching his parents as they smiled at their reunion. 'Thank you.'

'There's nothing to thank us for, son,' Hamold waved him away. 'All we did was find her and bring her back here – or, well, Paro found her.'

Fiyero's eyes found Paro's and his friend grinned at him. 'I take it you like your surprise?'

Fiyero let out a choked laugh, trying to hold back his tears. 'I love my surprise.'

'Your surprise loves you too,' Elphaba murmured against his chest, smiling, and he smiled, too. He felt as if his heart might burst with joy.

She pulled back, however, and looked at him worriedly. 'Fiyero, my father…'

He drew her close again and pressed his lips against her forehead. 'Don't worry about him, Fae. He's in jail.'

'He's… He's what?'

'Nessa had him arrested,' Fiyero told her. 'For what he did to you, and for threatening Boq and Galinda. We'll all have to testify against him, but he'll probably be locked away for at least twenty years.'

She closed her eyes again as relief washed over her and she started sobbing, desperate, broken sobs. Fiyero cried, too, as he held her tightly, rubbing soothing circles on her back and stroking her long, raven hair. 'It's going to be all right, Fae, I promise. You're safe now. Nothing is going to happen to you. We're all going to be all right…'

'You hear that, baby?' she whispered to her stomach. 'We're all going to be all right.'

His heart broke at that, and he clutched her even tighter. 'Oz, Fae… I missed you so much.'

She let out a shaky sigh. 'I missed you, too.'

They lapsed into a comfortable silence – a silence that was soon broken by a loud shriek. 'ELPHIEEEEEEE!'

Elphaba winced involuntarily at the volume and before she knew it, Galinda was clinging around her neck, hugging her friend so tightly she could barely breathe. 'Oh, Elphie, thank Oz you're okay! You _are _okay, aren't you? I was so scared when they took you away, and we didn't know where you were and then Frex said you escaped but how did you do that, Elphie? He said something about your powers and that you were unconscious and oh Oz I'm so glad you're all right, and why are we all standing out here in the cold, we should get inside and talk!' Without so much as waiting for an answer, she started dragging the green girl inside, with Fiyero, Paro and the Vinkun King and Queen following closely, the latter three with amused expressions on their faces.

Once inside, a sleepy Nessa appeared in her chair in the doorway. 'What's going on? I heard screaming and… Fabala!' She immediately wheeled herself over to her sister and Elphaba bent down to hug Nessa, crying once again. Nessa cried, too, as she clutched her sister's hand and apologised. 'Oh, Fabala, I am so sorry for what happened! If only-'

'Nessie, you have nothing to apologise for,' Elphaba told her younger sister sternly. 'There wasn't anything you could have done.' She lifted her gaze and met Boq's eyes, who was standing behind Nessa in the hallway. She smiled at him and he smiled back. 'Thank you, Boq,' she said sincerely. 'If it hadn't been for you…'

He nodded and came closer to briefly squeeze her hand. 'I know. I'm glad I could help.'

'Let's sit down somewhere, shall we?' Lori suggested, looking at them all. 'I think we have a lot of things to discuss.'

Fiyero and Elphaba sat down next to each other on the couch. Her hand was unconsciously resting on her stomach and Fiyero put his hand over hers. 'Oz, Fae… I can't believe we're having a baby.'

She looked at him worriedly. 'Fiyero, about that…'

'Now, I don't want you to spoil the moment by saying ridiculous things,' he told her sternly, 'so before you say anything else: of course I'm going to stay with you. In fact, I'm absolutely thrillified about having a baby with you, because I love you and I was planning on spending the rest of my life and starting a family with you anyway.'

She opened her mouth again, but he added, 'And no, I won't care if it's green. Hell, it could be blue with brightly coloured flowers all over, I don't care! All that's important is that it's ours and that it's healthy.'

She went to say something once again, but once again, he was faster. 'And I love you.'

She closed her mouth and nestled herself closer to him, her head on his shoulder, finally convinced. He wrapped his arms around her and she whispered, 'I love you, too.'

And those four words, from her lips, set his heart singing.


	17. Talking Things Through

**AN: Lots of reviews, bringing me lots of happiness - thank you guys!**

**The 'Frex Hunters'... I actually quite like that, musicalvampirelove. I'll support it, that's for sure ;-). And no, this story isn't over yet - not by far, I'm enjoying this way too much :D. I still have a few ideas left, and we all want to live through the pregnancy with Elphie and read about her giving birth... don't we? (I do, at least.)**

**I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Wicked4Life - if you're reading this: happy birthday! :)**

* * *

Fiyero was watching Elphaba as she sat at the vanity in their room, brushing her long, dark hair, looking lost in thought. 'What are you thinking about?' he asked her.

She sighed as she put the brush down and turned around to face him. 'What I'm going to do when I wake up and realise I dreamed all of this and you're not really here with me.'

He shook his head and got up from the bed. He walked over to where she was sitting, pulling her on his lap and wrapping his arms around her. 'You're not going to wake up, Fae. This is real. I am real. We're all here for you, I promise – you don't have to do this by yourself anymore.'

She smiled and rested her head against his shoulder. 'I know… It just feels so… surreal.'

'Well, believe it,' he told her solemnly. 'Because it's real. Oz, Fae, I love you so much… Do you have any idea how much I've missed you? When I thought you were dead…' His voice was choked with unshed tears and she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. 'I'm so sorry you had to go through that.'

He shook his head. 'Stop apologising for things that aren't your fault. It's just… I've told you before, that I love you, and I meant it, too… But I guess I only realised just how much you meant to me when I thought I'd lost you.'

She shook her head violently, not believing him. 'Fiyero, stop being overdramatic. I know you must have been sad, but you still had your friends with you, and there are other girls out there that-'

'I almost killed myself,' he blurted out and she stared at him wide-eyed. 'What?'

He felt a bit embarrassed – perhaps it _had_ been a slightly overdramatic action – and he only felt worse when he saw the horrified look on her face. 'I was about to jump into Suicide Canal,' he said softly. ' Boq came just in time to stop me. He _couldn't _stop me, at first, I… I only stopped when he told me you were still alive.'

'But Yero…' She was still shaking her head. '_Why_?!'

'Like I said,' he said softly, 'I only realised how much you meant to me when I thought I'd lost you.'

'You nearly killed yourself… because of _me_?'

'I love you, Fae,' he told her gravely, pulling her even closer to him. 'You mean the world to me, and just the mere thought of you being…' He couldn't get the word out, so he just continued, 'It was unbearable.'

'Fiyero…'

'Hey, Elphie,' Galinda said hesitantly from the doorway, Nessa behind her. 'May we come in? Or is now not a good time?'

Elphaba looked at Fiyero, uncertain, but he smiled at the blonde and carefully got up, helping Elphaba to her feet as well. 'No, that's fine. I was just going, anyway.'

Elphaba caught his hand before he walked away. 'Come back?'

He smiled faintly at her. 'Of course.' Then he left the room, leaving the girls together alone to talk.

'So… how are you?' Galinda asked. 'For real,' she added immediately. 'I know you, Miss Elphie, and I know you're always trying to be strong and act as if nothing's wrong, but you can't fool me. Or Nessa. So you might as well tell us how you _really _are.'

Elphaba chuckled softly. 'I missed you, Galinda.'

Galinda immediate threw her arms around her friends neck, effectively choking her. 'Oh, Elphie! I missed you, too!'

'Galinda, please let my pregnant sister breathe,' Nessa told the blonde sternly and Galinda quickly released the green girl. 'I'm fine, Galinda,' Elphaba said to her friend. 'Considering the circumstances.'

'What's that supposed to mean?' Galinda demanded anxiously, and Elphaba sighed in mock exasperation as she sat down on the bed. 'You're not pushy at all, are you?'

'Not in the slightest,' Galinda agreed cheerfully, flopping down on the bed next to her friend. 'So? You see, I don't think you're fine at all. You look horrendible.'

'Galinda!' Nessa protested, shocked, but Galinda didn't flinch. 'Really, Elphie. Sorry I have to say this, but, well, it's true. You were always skinny, but now I think I can actually count your ribs through your dress. You look like a walking skeleton. And you look as if you haven't had a good night sleep in _weeks_.'

Both Nessa and Elphaba stared at the blonde, not sure if she was being serious. 'Galinda,' Elphaba finally said, slowly, 'I slept _outside _for the past few weeks. I was _on the run_. I'm very sorry I didn't remember my beauty rituals,' she added rather sarcastically and Galinda blushed. 'Okay, that was a stupid thing to say, I guess… But you're still evading the question.'

Elphaba sighed again. 'Yes, I'm tired. I barely slept and I didn't have that much to eat, either, which probably explains the 'walking skeleton' part.'

'Have you been having pregnancy symptoms?' Nessa asked curiously. 'You know, like morning sickness?'

Elphaba made a face. 'Only like every day. And the baby seems keen on making me lose my balance as well – I've been dizzy almost constantly. But other than that, I'm okay. We're okay,' she added, putting one hand on her stomach, and Galinda looked as if she were about to cry. 'Ooh… I still can't believe you're having a baby!'

'Me, neither,' Elphaba admitted, smiling slightly, and Nessa smiled, too, tears shining in her eyes. 'I'm looking forward to being Auntie Nessa.'

'Can I be Auntie Galinda?' the blonde exclaimed, jumping up and down happily, and Elphaba laughed. 'Of course you can.'

Nessa's face brightened. 'Will that make Boq… _Uncle _Boq?'

Galinda giggled. 'Ooh, this is going to be amazing! Where are you going to live, Elphie? With Fiyero in the Vinkus? Are you coming back to Shiz with us until your due date? Or will you stay here? Who's going to look after you? And who's going to be the Governor now that your father…'

'I don't know, Galinda,' Elphaba interrupted her. 'And quite frankly, I'm too tired to think about all of that now. Fiyero's parents assured me they'd work something out… They're really nice. I'm glad they want to help us.'

Nessa squeezed her sister's hand. 'Me, too.'

They were silent for a while and Elphaba fidgeted with the hem of her nightgown. 'Can I ask you guys something?'

Nessa nodded. 'Sure.'

'How did Fiyero… cope?' Elphaba asked hesitantly. 'You know, when he thought I was… dead?'

Nessa's face fell and Galinda swallowed visibly. 'Um… Elphie…'

'Tell me the truth,' Elphaba insisted. 'He told me something when he was here earlier, and I want to know if that is true.'

'If you're talking about him trying to kill himself… That is true,' Nessa admitted. Galinda nodded miserably. 'And it was bad even before that. You asked how he coped? He _didn't_. He stopped doing… well, everything, really. He didn't sleep or eat, he didn't study, he didn't want to talk to us. We tried to talk to _him_, but he would either yell at us or completely ignore us. And for some reason, he always hid in the storage room at the library – a really strange place to hide, if you ask me – or he was sitting in some tree in the Shiz park…'

Elphaba's eyes had widened at the blonde's words. Unlike her friend, she, of course, knew exactly why Fiyero would pick the library storage room, or the trees in the park… He knew those had been her favourite hiding places. 'But…'

'He was drinking, too,' Nessa added softly. 'To help him forget.'

Galinda snorted. 'Didn't work, of course. We tried to talk to him about that once. I told him he was ruining his life.'

Elphaba waited for the blonde to continue, and when she didn't, she asked apprehensively, 'And? Did he listen to you?'

Galinda shook her head, hesitant to tell her friend, but Nessa opened her mouth. 'I think his literal words were, 'What life? She _was _my life'.'

Elphaba was gaping at her sister now and Galinda looked at Nessa in awe. 'I can't believe you remember that.'

Nessa shrugged, looking a little sad. 'It's just… I think it was the most heartbreaking thing I have ever heard in my entire life,' she admitted softly.

Tears were running down Elphaba's face by then and Galinda hurried over to hug her friend. 'Oh, Elphie, don't cry! He's fine now, he really is!'

Elphaba shook her head. 'That's not it, Galinda, it's just…'

'Hormones?' Nessa suggested with a smile. Elphaba laughed despite her tears. 'That, too. But… You know… I always felt like no one _really _loved me, you know, and to know that he…'

'You don't have to explain, Fabala,' Nessa said, hugging her sister. 'We understand.'

Galinda looked at her friend worriedly. 'Yeah… we do. Nessa… I guess it would be a good idea to send Fiyero back in here and talk to Elphie again in the morning, don't you think?'

Nessa smiled. 'I guess so. Goodnight, Fabala.' The girls left the room and mere clock-ticks later, Fiyero stormed back in. 'Fae? Were you crying? I thought I heard…'

His voice trailed away when she flung herself at him, pressing her body against his and sobbing into his shoulder. He held her, confused about what was going on. 'Fae?'

'I love you,' she whispered. 'Fiyero… I love you so much. I still don't have the faintest clue why I mean so much to you, why you love me so much that you think you can't live without me, but… but I believe you do, now. And I love you, too. More than you will ever know.'

He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. 'You want to know why?' he asked her softly, lifting her chin with his fingers so that she could meet his gaze. 'Because you are the most amazing, beautiful, wonderful, incredible, intelligent, talented, loving, powerful, caring and _magical_ person I have ever met. I love you more than anything in the world, Fae, and I'm proud that I am the one you choose to be with.'

She made sound somewhere between a sob and a laugh. 'Now you're making me cry all over again.'

He laughed and pulled her to him again, planting a kiss on her nose. 'You look exhausted,' he commented gently. 'Let's put you to bed, shall we? We can talk in the morning.'

She nodded sleepily and allowed him to guide her towards the bed and tuck her in. When he made to leave, however, she shot up straight. 'Oh, no, you don't.'

He turned around to look at her, a doubtful expression on his face. 'Are you sure? I don't mind sleeping on the couch, I don't want to be intrusive or anything…'

'Shut up and get over here,' she told him sternly, and he grinned at her and crawled into the bed next to her. She immediately snuggled closer to him and he wrapped his arms around her as he watched her close her eyes. 'Yero?' she murmured.

'Yeah?'

'Thank you.'

He lifted his head a little to look at her, a puzzled look on his face. 'For what?'

She opened her eyes and looked at him. 'For everything. For loving me. For setting out to look for me when you learned I wasn't dead. For staying with me through everything. For… for saving me. Again.'

His brow furrowed. 'I only saved you once.'

She shook her head, smiling. 'No, not just once. You saved me, because the only thing that kept me going through all of this, the only motivation I had for trying to escape and staying alive and not giving up, over and over again… well, it was you. Because I knew that you loved me, that you'd be there for me, no matter what… I think I would have given up a lot sooner if it weren't for you.'

He looked slightly baffled and she smiled as she nestled her head on his chest again, closing her eyes. 'You're Yero, my hero,' she murmured, and he swallowed and tried his hardest not to cry. Instead, he silently pressed his lips to her hair and vowed just as silently to always love and protect her and their unborn child, no matter what. Because she deserved that. More than anyone in the world.

* * *

_They were together, Fiyero and her, sitting by the lake at Shiz. They were discussing baby names, both of them smiling, his arm around her shoulders. They were happy._

_Suddenly, Frex appeared from the water, dripping wet and his face twisted in an expression of pure fury. His eyes were insane and he was clutching a big knife in his one hand. 'Get over here, you wicked girl!' he snarled._

_Fiyero jumped to his feet instantly, moving in front of her to protect her. 'Stay away from her!' he yelled. Frex lurched forward and Elphaba screamed as his knife pierced Fiyero's stomach. Fiyero slumped to the ground immediately, a pool of blood forming around him, empty blue eyes staring into nothingness._

'_Fiyero!' she screeched, crying, as Frex approached her, a wicked grin on his face. The giant knife in his hand was dripping with Fiyero's dark red, shiny blood. 'Now,' Frex growled, grabbing her arm and yanking her towards them, moving his knife to point towards her abdomen. 'Let's remove that bastard baby of yours…'_

'Elphaba! Fae, wake up!'

She awoke with a start, bolting upright in her bed. Her eyes looked enormous in the dark and she was panting. Fiyero realized with a pang that one of her hands had flown unconsciously towards her stomach. 'Fae?'

She looked at him with her huge brown eyes and he noticed the tear streaks on her cheeks. When she met his gaze, she released the breath she had apparently been holding. 'You're all right…'

'Me?' he asked in confusion. 'Of course _I _am all right, but are _you_?'

She had wrapped her arms around his waist and was now pressing her cheek against his chest, closing her eyes as she listened to the steady, reassuring sound of his heartbeat. He was here. He was alive. Only then did she relax a little and her breathing grew more regular. She let out a long, shaky sigh before looking back up at him. 'I'm fine.'

'Are you sure?' he asked her, concern clouding his azure eyes. 'You were screaming in your sleep. Did you have a nightmare?'

She nodded mutely and he stroked her hair. 'Do you want to tell me about it? Sometimes that helps.'

She shook her head. 'I really don't.' She tightened her grip around him and he continued to stroke her hair, murmuring into her ear soothingly. 'You're okay, Fae, you're okay. No one is going to hurt you, I promise.'

'It wasn't me that was hurt,' she whispered quietly, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead. 'Well, I'm okay, too, and so is our child. We're all fine, Fae. I'll make sure of that. I'll protect both of you.'

She whimpered softly. 'Please don't say that.'

He was surprised. 'Why not?'

She looked at him again and whispered, barely audible, 'Because that's how you got yourself killed.'

Suddenly, he understood her anxiety and he pulled her closer to him. 'Oh, Fae…'

He held her until she had fallen asleep again, clutching his shirt with both hands. He, however, stayed awake a long time after that, just looking at her face as she slept, lost in thought.

* * *

The next day was crazy.

Elphaba, Galinda, Nessa, Fiyero and Boq all had their statements taken by the mayor and his soldiers, and along with another statement provided by Doctor Dandaron, it was enough to lock Frex away for the next twenty years, to all of their utter relief. Boq wrote to his parents and they wrote back, telling him they would be coming over as well and that they would arrive the next day.

Fiyero's parents had a long, private conversation with the mayor, and when they came back, they all sat down in the living room together to talk. 'We've been discussing the matter of who is going to succeed Frexspar as the Governor of Munchkinland,' Lori explained solemnly, 'and we need to talk to you about that as well.'

Nessa looked anxious. 'It's not going to be me, is it?' she asked in a small voice. 'I mean… Father always wanted me to succeed him, but I'm only seventeen, I can't… I can't do that!'

Lori smiled at her. 'Don't worry, sweetheart, you don't have to if you don't want to. We've discussed that possibility as well and we completely understand that you don't feel ready to be the Governess yet. That's why we're going to assign a replacement until you finish Shiz and are fully prepared to take up your responsibilities.'

Nessa nodded, relieved. 'That is perfect, thank you.'

'Who is this replacement going to be?' asked Elphaba, who was sitting on the couch with Fiyero's arm draped around her shoulders.

Nessa looked worried again. 'Yes… whoever it will be, is going to live here, right? This _is _the Governor's mansion, after all… I don't know if I would be comfortable with a stranger living in our house.'

The Vinkun King and Queen smiled at each other meaningfully. 'We're working on that. Don't worry, Nessarose, we won't take action until we've deliberated with you,' Hamold assured the girl, and she nodded, satisfied.

'Then there's something else we need to discuss… Elphaba,' Lori addressed the green girl, who looked up at her. 'What are you going to do now?'

Elphaba's face fell and she shrugged. 'I… I don't know,' she confessed. 'With father in prison, there's no one to pay for my tuition at Shiz anymore, so I can't go back there, and… well… I don't really have another place to stay.'

'I'll hide you in our dorm room at Shiz!' Galinda offered immediately, jumping up and down with excitement. The others couldn't help but laugh at that and Fiyero told her sternly, 'She's not doing that.' He turned back to his girlfriend. 'You're staying in the Vinkus with us.'

Hamold quirked an eyebrow at his son. 'Are you going to consult us about that first?' he asked, his eyes dancing with mischief, but both Fiyero and Elphaba missed his teasing undertone. Elphaba flinched a little and Fiyero pulled her to him protectively and told his father solemnly, 'No.'

Lori gently nudged her husband between the ribs. 'Stop teasing them, Hamold. Of course you can stay with us, dear,' she then addressed Elphaba, smiling at the girl. 'We'd love to have you. It'll give us a chance to get to know you better – I want to hear everything about the girl that managed to make my son _think_. Not to mention make him actually pass his exams, which, I can tell you, has never happened before.'

Elphaba smiled at that, relieved, and Fiyero grinned at his parents. 'You're the best.'

'You bet we are,' Lori laughed. 'But, Elphaba, we want to offer you another possibility as well.'

Elphaba looked at them questioningly and Lori shifted to the tip of her chair. 'You're not due until August, are you?'

The green girl shook her head and Lori continued. 'You have to decide for yourself if you want to do this, sweetheart, but if you want to go back to Shiz for the rest of the year… We'd be more than willing to pay for your tuition.'

Elphaba was speechless and Hamold added, 'Of course we would also pay for your tuition if you happen to decide that you want to go back to Shiz later, after the baby is born. We'd understand if you want to focus on your pregnancy right now, rather than your studies, but from what I've heard about you from Fiyero… I don't think you're the type of girl that's good at sitting around and doing nothing, or are you?'

She smiled. 'No, I'm not.' She looked at the King and Queen, doubt clearly written on her face. 'Are you sure about this?'

Lori reached out to squeeze Elphaba's hand. 'Absolutely. You're part of the family now, Elphaba. We may not know you that well yet, but Fiyero loves you and that's enough to make us love you as well.'

That was enough to make Elphaba burst into tears and when the Queen hurried over to hug her, she returned the embrace. 'Thank you,' she whispered sincerely. 'Thank you so much.'

'It is our pleasure,' Hamold told her, smiling as well as he, too, hugged her briefly. 'So? What's it going to be?'

Elphaba looked at her friends, then back at the King and Queen. 'You're right,' she admitted. 'I'm not the kind of girl that likes to sit around and do nothing… especially not since Galinda, Boq, Nessa and Fiyero _will _be returning to Shiz.'

'No way,' Fiyero protested immediately. 'If you decide to stay at the Vinkus until our baby is born, then so am I.'

Lori looked at him in mild disapproval. 'Yero…'

'Your education is important, son,' Hamold told his son gravely. 'We can't have you being expelled from yet another university.'

'Oh no. I won't allow you to.' Elphaba shook her head. 'But you won't have to make that decision, because I'm going back to Shiz with you guys.'

Galinda's face brightened. 'Really? Elphie, that's awesome!' She bounced up and down and ran over to hug her friend. Nessa and Boq were smiling, too, and Lori looked pleased. 'So that's settled, then. I will write to Madam Morrible about this and you can return whenever you want.'

'You did miss a lot of classes, though,' Hamold mused thoughtfully. 'Do you think you can catch up?'

Galinda downright laughed at him. 'I'm sorry, sir, but do you know who we're talking about here? This is _Elphaba_. She will have caught up with us by the end of her first week back.'

Hamold quirked an eyebrow and Fiyero grinned at his parents. 'That's probably true.'

Elphaba was blushing. 'Well, what's wrong with that?' she defended herself. 'I just like to study.'

Hamold looked at her in amazement for a few clock-ticks before leaning forward to pat his son's knee. 'Fiyero,' he said seriously, 'you got yourself a fine young woman.'

Elphaba blushed an even darker shade of red and Fiyero's grin broadened. 'I know.'

'Wait a clock-tick,' Nessa said, wrinkling her forehead in thought before her eyes widened. 'Morrible. Did anyone think of telling her what was going on?'

The students all looked at each other sheepishly and Boq groaned, burying his face in his hands. 'She's going to expel us all for leaving without telling her.'

'Don't worry,' Lori said with a smile. 'We wrote to her yesterday, explaining everything. She wasn't happy, but she was understanding…'

'And she couldn't very well say 'no' to the King and Queen of the Vinkus, of course,' Hamold grinned. 'So you can all return whenever you feel ready, and there won't be any consequences – as long as you make sure yourselves to keep up with everything.'

Fiyero made a face. 'In that case, I have some catching up to do.'

Elphaba looked at him questioningly. 'Why? Your grades were good before Lurlinemas, and you sent me your exam results – they were good, too.'

He avoided her gaze and fidgeted a little. She would be disappointed, he knew, that he had stopped studying, and he didn't want to disappoint her… but he couldn't lie to her, either. 'I might have… sort of… _abandoned _my studies after Lurlinemas,' he confessed. 'You know… I… um…'

Boq rolled his eyes. 'To put it bluntly: his motivation died when he thought you did.'

Fiyero looked at his feet, feeling slightly embarrassed. 'Yeah.'

He waited anxiously for her reaction, but she only rested her head on his shoulder and said, 'I'll help you catch up.'

He looked at her in amazement. 'Really? You're not mad?'

She looked at him as if though he were crazy. 'Mad? Why in Oz would I be mad?'

'Well… you were so proud of me when I finally started studying,' he said quietly, gazing into her dark eyes. 'And now I've gone and thrown it all away.'

She shook her head in disbelief. 'Sweet _Oz_, Fiyero. Yes, perhaps I would have been a little mad at you if you had done this just because you were lazy and there were other things you'd rather do, but I'd say you had a valid reason now, didn't you?'

Galinda rolled her eyes. 'You're so _stupid_, Fiyero.'

Everyone laughed at that and the mood lightened again. 'Yero, I like your friends,' Hamold told his son, grinning, and Fiyero whacked his father's arm.

Elphaba was laughing, too, as she looked around the circle of people that now was her family. She smiled at that thought.

Perhaps everything would be all right after all.

* * *

**Reviews are, as always, very much appreciated :).**


	18. Questions

**AN: Thanks again! :)**

**Wicked4Life: Yes, I _really _want to be a writer 'when I grow up', and I'm going to try my hardest to make that happen ^^. I have finished three stories/books now that I want to try and have published someday, but they're rough drafts and they need some more work. I'm a little stuck when it comes to those stories at the moment, hence my very enthusiastic updating these fanfics :P, but I'm confident my inspiration will return to me... someday.**

**Silvine Fae Graycin: Hey, I have an idea! If you want to compliment my writing and you don't know how because you've run out of original ways to tell me, just review by saying 'Boo' and I know that's a compliment :P. (You know I actually have a document called 'Boo'? It's where I paste the new chapters into in order to upload them into the Doc Manager. Couldn't think of a better name .)**

* * *

That night, Elphaba and Galinda were sitting in Elphaba's room together. The green girl was sitting on her bed, legs crossed, reading, while the blonde was sitting behind her, fumbling with her hair. Galinda brushed the long strands, lost in thought. 'Elphie?' she said softly after a while.

'Hmm?'

'Are you moving in with Fiyero now? You know… when we get back to Shiz?'

That caught Elphaba's attention and she finally looked up from her book, staring ahead, brow furrowed. 'Would you believe I actually hadn't thought about that yet?'

Galinda giggled. Then a thought occurred to her. 'Does he have a private suite or does he share with someone, too?'

Elphaba rolled her eyes. 'Lin, he's a prince. He's not sharing his room with anyone. Besides… did you think we made this baby in front of his roommate?'

'EW!' Galinda shrieked and Elphaba chuckled. The blonde softly hit her friend on the head with the hairbrush. 'That was an image I did _not _want to think of, thank you very much!'

Nessa peeked around the doorsill. 'Hi. Can I come in?'

'Sure,' Galinda said cheerfully, picking up the brush again and continuing to untangle Elphaba's long ebony hair. 'Elphie and I were just talking.'

'About what?' Nessa asked, wheeling herself into the room. She stopped next to the bed and, with Elphaba's help, heaved herself over onto the bed to sit with the other two girls.

Galinda sighed. 'I was just asking Elphie if she was going to move in with Fiyero when we get back to Shiz.'

Nessa looked at her sister. 'Are you?'

The green girl tentatively met Nessa's gaze. 'I don't know. What do you think I should do?' She cut herself off. 'No, I know what you probably think I should do. You never approved of me and Fiyero sleeping in one room, anyway. Although, on the other hand, the 'damage' is already done now,' she said just a bit sarcastically. Nessa, however, shook her head. 'Oh, I'm sorry, Fabala,' she said sadly. 'I should have been more supportive and less…'

'Decent?' Elphaba offered.

'Old-fashioned and boring?' suggested Galinda. Both Thropp sisters shot her a look and Nessa said, feeling a bit offended, 'Do you think I am boring?'

'Not anymore,' Galinda said cheerfully. 'You became much more awesome in the past months.'

'Thanks… I guess,' Nessa said dubiously, and Elphaba chuckled. 'Coming from Galinda, you should take that as a compliment.'

Galinda scowled at her friend. 'Anyway, back to the original subject, because you still haven't given me an answer. Are you moving in with Fiyero or are you staying with me?' She widened her eyes, pouted slightly and tried her hardest to resemble a cute puppy, begging for attention. Both sisters had to laugh at that.

'You know what?' Elphaba said after thinking it over for a few clock-ticks. 'I think I'm just going to leave half of my stuff in your room and the other half in Fiyero's, and I'm just going to alternate between you two. I mean, I love Fiyero and I really want to move in with him, but you're my best friend and we had such wonderful times together as roommates… I wouldn't miss that for the world.'

Galinda bounced up and down, a huge smile on her face. 'Yay! I know, Elphie! We had such fun, didn't we?' Slowly, a devious grin spread across her face. 'Like with 'rock, paper, scissors, question'?'

Elphaba widened her eyes in mock despair. 'Oh, no. Please don't.'

Nessa looked at them questioningly. 'What's that?'

'It's a game I invented,' Galinda explained quickly. 'You know 'rock, paper, scissors', right?'

'I do.'

'Well, I added this: the winner gets to ask the loser a question, and the loser _has _to answer it truthfully.'

'I hate it!' Elphaba stage whispered to her sister and Galinda whacked her arm. 'No you don't! And you're both gonna play it with me!'

Elphaba looked at her sister and dramatically mouthed, 'Kill me now!', to which Nessa burst out in a fit of giggles. 'Oh, come on, Fabala, it can't be that bad!'

'Let's start!' Galinda said impatiently, holding out her hand.

_Rock, paper, scissors._

Elphaba and Galinda both ended up with rock, while Nessa had scissors. Galinda giggled. 'You should _never _start with scissors. It's too predictable. So, now we can both ask you a question! Elphie, you start.'

Elphaba looked at her sister. 'This is going to be a serious one, if you don't mind.' Nessa nodded and the green girl took a deep breath. 'Nessie… Are you mad at me?'

Her younger sister looked at her in surprise. 'Why would I be mad at you?'

Elphaba gave a nervous little shrug. 'I don't know. Because I got pregnant. Because I ran away. Because father is in jail because of me.'

Nessa took her sister's hand and squeezed it tightly. 'Fabala… I don't blame you for anything. I have to admit, I was shocked at first that you were pregnant, and I didn't approve of it in the slightest… but what father tried to do to you was wrong. It's perfectly understandable that you ran away – I think it was brave, because I don't think I would have had the courage to do that, venture out into the world all on my own. And that he went to jail…' She shook her head. 'I do love him, Fabala, because I know he always loved me and he raised me well. But the way he treated you was never fair, and though it hurts, I can't help but feel that he had it coming. That this was what he deserved. So no, I'm not mad at you. Far from it. I'm proud of you, Fabala. To me, you are an example of strength, love and courage, and I can only hope that I have inherited a few of the same genes so that I might be just a little bit like you.' She couldn't help but laugh when she noticed that Elphaba was crying again and looking exasperated about it. 'I'm sorry, Fabala. I didn't mean to make you cry, but you have to admit, it's a little too easy to get you to cry these days, what with the hormones and all.'

The green girl glared at her sister through her tears. 'I _loathe _crying.'

Nessa giggled and hugged her. 'I do love you, Fabala.'

Elphaba smiled as she wiped her tears away and returned the hug. 'I love you too, Nessa. And just for the record: I'm very proud of you, too. Standing up to father, let alone testify against him and watch him being locked up in prison, couldn't have been easy for you, but you did it nonetheless.'

'Can we get back to the game now?' Galinda whined. 'This is getting way too serious.' All three girls laughed at that and Galinda sat up straight, eyes gleaming. 'So, Nessa, my question for you… Do you think Boq is sexy without his shirt on?'

Elphaba snorted with laughter at that, nearly rolling off the bed, as Nessa's face flushed. 'I… Galinda… I don't think… _Why_?!'

'Because,' Galinda announced, 'I just don't _get _it. I mean, he's really sweet and kind and all, I get _that_. And he's a good friend to me, too. But he's not _hot_. He's not _sexy_. He's a very small Munchkin boy with a chicken breast and though I suppose he is cute, in a kind of pet-like way, I don't understand how someone could feel _attracted _to him.'

Elphaba rolled her eyes. 'Galinda, that was just downright rude.'

'He's not here to hear it,' the blonde pointed out nonchalantly before directing her gaze back at Nessa. 'So?'

Nessa's face was beet red by now, which only made Elphaba and Galinda, too, laugh harder. 'Answer it honestly!' Elphaba told her sister with a big smile on her face and Nessa's face became almost purple with embarrassment as she fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. 'I don't… I've never seen Boq without his shirt on,' she admitted, clearly ashamed of that fact. Both Elphaba and Galinda gaped at her, though the green girl recovered quickly. That shouldn't have surprised her – she knew how _proper _Nessa could be. Galinda, however, clearly couldn't believe her ears. 'You have been dating for almost six months now and you haven't even seen him _without his shirt on_?!' she shrieked, causing Nessa to go, 'Ssh!' in a desperate attempt to shush the blonde – an attempt that failed. 'Oh my Oz, Nessa,' Galinda continued, 'you are so _prissy_!'

'I take back what I said earlier,' Nessa told her sister sourly. 'This _is _bad.'

'No it's not!' Galinda declared, shuffling a bit closer to her friends as she held out her hand again. 'Come on, again!'

_Rock, paper, scissors._

This time, Galinda won and got to ask both sisters a question. 'So, Nessa… You _have_ kissed Boq, haven't you?'

The wheelchair-bound girl flushed again. '_Yes_, we kissed.'

Galinda nodded solemnly. 'Good.' Then she turned back towards Elphaba. 'And Elphie… How exactly did you and Fiyero have sex?'

Nessa choked and Elphaba buried her face in a pillow. 'Please don't do this to me.'

'I just mean, like, who was on top?' Galinda went on seriously. 'And how did you go from dancing at the masquerade to doing… well, _that_… in his room? And…'

'Galinda, I do _not _want to know this about my sister and her boyfriend,' Nessa told the blonde sternly, but Galinda just stuck out her tongue. 'Well, I _do _want to know this about my best friend and her boyfriend, so if you don't want to hear it, you're going to have to leave the room,' she said triumphantly. Elphaba shook her head frantically. 'I am _not _answering that question, Galinda.'

The blonde pouted. 'But we're best friends!'

'_No_, Galinda.'

'You have to! It's the rules of the game! If you, don't, I-'

'Elphaba? Nessa?' Fiyero suddenly called from the hallway. 'Could you come down here for a clock-tick?'

Elphaba sprang to her feet immediately, relief written all over her face. 'Got to go!' she said cheerfully and bolted out of the room as fast as her feet could carry her.

'Don't worry, I'll help Nessa!' Galinda shouted after her, feeling slightly offended. She looked at a giggling Nessa. 'Not funny. This game was just getting good,' she muttered irritably. 'I'm going to kill Fiyero for his sense of timing.'

* * *

'I'm sorry to interrupt your girl time,' Fiyero apologized when Elphaba reached the bottom of the stairs, but she merely grinned at him. 'Oh, but I'm not. You saved me from Galinda.'

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her softly. 'So I saved you again, didn't I?' her murmured.

She smiled against his lips. 'So you did. You really are Yero, my hero.'

His heart soared at those words and he kissed her again, deeply, before they reluctantly broke apart and he offered her his arm. 'Come on, my parents are waiting for us in the living room.'

Nessa arrived not too long thereafter and wheeled her chair next to where Boq was sitting, across from Fiyero's parents. Boq's parents were there, too. 'Mr. and Mrs. Parlone!' Elphaba exclaimed, surprised. 'I didn't know you had arrived yet!'

'We only arrived about an hour ago, and we have been talking to Mr. and Mrs. Tiggular ever since,' Boq's mother explained, smiling at the green girl. She reached out and took Elphaba's hands in hers, squeezing them slightly. 'It's good to see you alive, Elphaba.'

She returned the smile. 'Thank you.'

'So we've talked it through, and we have decided who is going to be the new Governor – if you two agree, girls,' Hamold explained. Nessa nodded solemnly. 'Who did you have in mind?'

King Hamold smiled. 'Mr. Boq Parlone.'

Nessa choked. '_What_?! You want to make Boq the Governor?! But…'

'Nessie,' Elphaba interrupted her sister, smiling slightly, as she patted the younger girl's arm. 'Boq's father is also named Boq.'

Nessa flushed. 'Oh. Of course.' Then she cringed her forehead. 'Wait a clock-tick – you want to make Mr. Parlone the Governor?'

'Yes,' nodded Lori.

'That's actually a really good idea,' Elphaba admitted after musing it over for a few moments. 'They're one of the people, so the Munchkinlanders will accept them as their leaders, and I know Mr. Parlone has completed his education, so I think he is up for the job.'

Mr. Parlone smiled at her. 'Thank you for your confidence in me, Miss Elphaba. I myself am not sure I am ready for this, but I promise I will do my very best.'

Boq looked at Nessa. 'Don't you think this is a wonderful solution? Now there won't be living any strangers in your house, plus you can come back here in vacations – my parents and I would love to have you.'

Nessa's face brightened. 'Really? That would be amazing! Thank you so much!'

Lori laughed. 'I take it that you agree, then?'

Both Nessarose and Elphaba nodded and Hamold smiled. 'Good. I'll inform the mayor.'

'And I'm going to take you to bed,' Fiyero told Elphaba. 'It's late, and you need your rest.'

She rolled her eyes at him. 'Yes Mommy.'

He whacked her arm playfully before scooping her up in his arms. She started squirming immediately. 'Put me down!'

'Nope,' he told her cheerfully, before carrying her upstairs to her bedroom. They both crawled into the bed, Elphaba snuggling up against him again, and she yawned. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand. 'Sorry.'

'It's still adorable,' he told her, grinning widely, and she smiled and closed her eyes. 'I love you.'

He was silent for a long while and she was convinced he had already fallen asleep. She was nearly asleep herself, too, so when he spoke again, he startled her. 'Fae?'

'Mm?'

He paused again, but then she heard him ask quietly, 'Will you marry me?'

'HE ASKED _WHAT_?!' Galinda screamed when Elphaba told her.

The green girl giggled. 'You heard me.'

'Well, what did you say?' Galinda prodded excitedly. Elphaba looked at her with a straight face. 'I told him to go to hell.'

'ELPHIE! YOU DID NOT!' the blonde screeched, effectively waking everyone in the entire house, and Elphaba rolled her eyes, grinning widely. 'No, of course I did not, you idiot! I said yes!'

'Ooooh!' Galinda exclaimed as she yanked Elphaba's left hand towards her to examine the silver ring with the small diamond on her friend's ring finger. 'Elphie! It's beautiful!'

'Why, thank you,' Fiyero said from the doorway, grinning just as widely as his fiancée. Galinda squealed and jumped up to hug him. 'Oh, Fiyero, congratulotions! You too, Elphie! I'm really happy for you – you deserve each other.'

'Thanks, Lin,' Elphaba said warmly. Just then, a sleepy-looking Lori poked her head around the doorsill. 'Is everything all right in here? We heard screaming…'

'Fiyero just asked Elphie to marry him!' Galinda exulted, bouncing up and down, and Lori's eyes widened. 'You did? Oh, Yero!' She quickly came in to warmly hug both her son and her soon-to-be daughter-in-law. 'Congratulotions to you both!' She kissed Fiyero's cheek. 'I'm proud of you, Yero,' she whispered to him, smiling, and he smiled back. 'Thanks, Mom.'

'Are you really sure you want to do this?' Elphaba asked him quietly when they were in bed again, after all the excitement and congratulotions had died down a little.

Fiyero turned to his side, facing her. 'What? Marry you? I wouldn't have asked you if I weren't sure I wanted to,' he reminded her, but she shook her head. 'Yero… I don't want you to feel obliged to stay with me because of the baby.'

He opened his mouth to say something, but she wasn't done yet. 'And I know you said you wanted to be with me forever, but forever is a long time, Yero. And marriage… You can't just walk away when you decide after a while that you don't want it anymore.'

'Oh, Fae…' He wrapped her in his arms, drawing her close. 'No, I did not ask you to marry me because of the baby,' he said seriously. 'It plays a role, of course, but it's not the reason. The reason is what I've told you before. I want to marry you because you're amazing, Fae, and because I love you beyond reason, and because the rest of my life isn't nearly long enough when it comes to being with you.' He kissed her hair. 'Now will you stop worrying? I'm not going to leave you, Elphaba. Not ever. Not unless you want me to.'

'I don't want you to,' she whispered against his chest, and he kissed the top of her head again. 'Then I'm not going anywhere.'

* * *

They left back for Shiz a few days later.

All kinds of arrangements had been made. Elphaba and Nessa had sorted through their father's things, stocking most of it in the attic of the mansion. Elphaba had packed her belongings, part of which would go back to Shiz with her, while Fiyero's parents would take the other part with them to the Vinkus so that her things would be there when she would arrive for the summer. Nessa left her own belongings in the mansion, since she would be returning there for the summer, and they had all helped Boq's parents move in. Now they said goodbye to Boq's and Fiyero's parents, whom they would not be seeing for a few months.

Lori embraced Elphaba warmly. 'Now remember, sweetheart: if you need anything, just write and we'll send it over. We'll pay for your expenses regarding your pregnancy, a midwife, everything; and please write to us how you're doing every now and then, okay?'

Elphaba smiled, tears welling up in her eyes once again, and nodded. 'Okay.'

'Take care of her, son,' the King told Fiyero gravely, resting his hand on his shoulder. 'She's a gem.'

'I know, Dad,' Fiyero said, smiling. 'I'll take care of her, I promise.'

'Paro will accompany you to Shiz and travel back to the Vinkus from there,' Hamold said, gesturing to Fiyero's old friend. 'Keep us updated, Fiyero. We'll see you in the summer.'

Boq, Fiyero, Nessa, Elphaba, Galinda and Paro all boarded the carriage and waved until Fiyero's and Boq's parents were out of sight; then Paro turned to face Galinda, who was sitting next to him, with an interested look on his face. 'So… You're Galinda Upland?'

'Of the _Upper _Uplands,' she corrected him primly, and he nodded, smiling. 'Did it hurt?'

Fiyero groaned and buried his face in his hands. 'Oh, Paro… Please don't.'

'Why not?' his friend asked him, grinning broadly. 'Just want to see if I still have my charm,' he whispered to Fiyero, winking at him, before turning back towards Galinda. 'So, did it hurt?'

'Did what hurt?'

Paro adopted an innocent puppy-look. 'When you fell down from heaven?'

Elphaba, Boq and Nessa were all trying their hardest – and failing horribly – to stifle their laughter at that, and Fiyero groaned again. 'Oz, Paro…'

'Does that actually _work _sometimes?' Elphaba asked, amused, but then she saw that Galinda was blushing and giggling, eyes fixed on Paro's face, and she faltered. 'Oh. Never mind.'

Paro took Galinda's hand and kissed it. 'You must be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.'

'Oh, stop it!' Galinda giggled, flattered, and Fiyero muttered to Elphaba, 'Yes, please stop it,' to which she only had to laugh harder.

Paro continued to seduce Galinda for at least another hour before their conversations turned more serious and they actually started talking about _normal_ things, like their families and the respective universities they were attending. Elphaba, Fiyero, Nessa and Boq all amused themselves the entire way to Shiz with watching the two grow slowly closer together, and by the time they reached Shiz and Paro left with a kiss to Galinda's cheek and a promise to write, Galinda was swooning. 'Oh my Oz, he is AMAZING!' she squealed, and Elphaba rolled her eyes. 'Lin…'

'I'm in love,' the blonde declared dramatically, and Elphaba sighed and gave up. 'There's not reasoning with you now,' she acknowledged, and looked at Fiyero. 'I'm going to start with staying over at _your _room tonight. I don't think I can listen to _that_,' she nodded at a squealing Galinda, 'the entire night.'

Fiyero grinned at her. 'Fine with me.'

They all settled in their respective rooms and stayed there, tired after the long journey. Fiyero watched as Elphaba sat down brushing her long, raven hair in front of the mirror. 'You know Paro is never really going to write to Galinda.'

Elphaba put the hairbrush down and turned around. 'I figured as much. I thought you said he had grown up when he went to university.'

Fiyero rolled his eyes good-naturedly. 'He has. He just relapses into his old behaviour sometimes.'

Elphaba shrugged as she climbed into Fiyero's giant, kingsize bed. 'Galinda will get over it… eventually.'

* * *

Elphaba awoke in the middle of the night with a start, her heart pounding in her chest, her breathing ragged. She sighed and laid back down when she realised what had happened. Another nightmare. She hadn't told Fiyero because she didn't want to worry him, but she had been having them for weeks already – they had started not too long after her escape from the hospital, and they had only gotten worse after Frex's attempt to kidnap her. Sometimes she would scream in her sleep, like she had a few nights ago, but usually, she just woke up with a terrible feeling. She still didn't want to tell Fiyero; she could tell they were just nightmares, not visions or something like that. They would pass in time.

She knew, however, that she wouldn't be able to go to sleep now. She looked at Fiyero, who was still sleeping soundly, and carefully got out of bed and put on her robe. She walked over towards Fiyero's living room, a room that had a giant window looking out over campus with a nice broad window-sill for her to sit on. And so she did, pulling up her legs and hugging them as she looked out over the silent and dark campus. She looked down. 'Hey, baby,' she said softly. 'How are you now? I'm sorry I haven't spoken to you in a few days, but things have been a little crazy.' She readjusted her position a little to lean her back against the wall, then looked down at her stomach again. 'I know you can't hear me yet – the pregnancy books said that won't happen until around my twentieth week… but that's okay. I like talking to you. And I'm very proud of you, you know that? Already. You saved me – us – from my father… You must be very powerful.' She made a face. 'Trust me, being powerful isn't always a good thing, but don't worry. I'll help you control it. We'll face it all, together…' She started drawing light circles on her abdomen. 'I'm sorry you're never going to meet your grandmother,' she whispered. 'And you probably won't meet your grandfather, either. I guess that's my fault… But I don't regret it. Not really. It had to be done…' She sighed and looked out of the window again. 'But then again, you have the most wonderful grandparents on your father's side – they're going to spoil you rotten, I'm sure, as are your Aunties Nessa and Galinda. You won't have your maternal grandparents, but you're going to have a loving family nonetheless, baby, I'll make sure of that. We're all going to love you, no matter what.' She paused. 'Sometimes I'm scared, though… that everything will be taken away from me. That Fiyero will leave me, or that he won't be able to handle it if you happen to be green… Or that I'm going to be a horrendible mother, or that Frex gets out of prison and comes after us…' She let out a shaky sigh. 'Or that I'll lose you.' She looked down at her stomach again, a slight smile playing around her lips. 'But I can promise you this much: no matter what happens, I will always love you.'

She sighed again and pushed herself up. 'Now I guess I have to get back to bed, or I'll be sleeping during tomorrow's classes and that just won't do. Goodnight, baby.'

She left the living room and went back to bed.


	19. Having Nightmares

**AN: Thank you so much for reviewing!**

**Yes, yes, lots of cuteness and fluff and sweetness... but musicalvampirelove, this story would become boring if nothing happened besides fluff and sweetness, so just hang on this one fluffy chapter and at the end of it, the drama/problems/trouble will return ^^.**

**And RavenCurls: that's exactly the reason why I always start with rock 3:).**

**And Hailey... that's a pretty amazing idea, which I intend to use next time I write a pregnancy story, but this time, I happen to have already decided on the gender and the name of their baby, as you'll find out in this chapter ^^. (And go Frex Hunters! What is my secret code name going to be? :3)**

* * *

It was surprisingly easy to pick up their previous rhythms again once they were back. After the first night, Elphaba went to sleep with Galinda in their old dorm room again for a few nights, and it was just like old times; attending classes, Galinda wanting to give her makeovers, enduring stares, listening patiently to a certain giggling blonde telling her about the letter she had received from Paro a few days ago – the boy had actually sent one, which had surprised Fiyero to no end. 'Perhaps he has feeling for her after all,' he had grinned, and Elphaba had smiled. 'That _would _be nice, to have your best friend dating my best friend.'

After a few days, however, when she and Galinda were alone in their dorm room one afternoon, the blonde gave her a pointed look. 'Elphie?'

The green girl didn't even look up from her book. 'Hmm?'

'How are you?'

Now she looked up, in surprise. 'I'm fine.'

Galinda shook her head. 'No, you're not. You're still way too skinny, you have been sleeping here for over a week now – what about Fiyero? – and you seem to be avoiding him, too, which is weird. And you're having nightmares.'

Elphaba's head shot up at that. 'What do you mean, I'm having nightmares?'

Galinda rolled her eyes in a very Elphaba-like way. 'I'm a light sleeper, Elphie. I hear you tossing and turning every night. And sometimes you scream in your sleep – Fiyero's name, usually.'

Elphaba's face flushed a little. 'Well… It's nothing.'

'It's not 'nothing',' Galinda told her sternly, moving over to sit next to the green girl on her bed. 'Tell me what's wrong.'

The young witch sighed and practically slammed her book shut. 'I don't know, okay? I'm just… I'm scared,' she admitted, so softly Galinda could barely hear her say it. 'I dream about Frex every night – usually about him trying to take away the baby, and then Fiyero tries to defend me and Frex murders him…' She took a deep breath to keep herself from crying – she'd had enough of that by now. 'Or it's about the baby being green and Fiyero leaving me because of it… Sometimes I dream about walking around the Shiz campus by myself and finding everyone dead – Fiyero, Nessa, Boq… you. And no matter what it is about, it almost always ends with Frex approaching me with this huge knife that's dripping with blood, with this crazy look in his eyes… trying to kill either me or the baby, or both.'

Galinda didn't know what to say to that and so she hugged her friend, tears in her eyes. 'Oh, Elphie… I'm so sorry. But that's not gonna happen, you know that! Frex is locked up, and Fiyero would never leave you – surely you know that!'

Elphaba sighed. 'I know… in my mind. But…'

'But deep down, you're still having doubts,' Galinda nodded. 'I get that. But still, Elphie… You shouldn't shut him out. Talk to him. Tell him about the nightmares – he'll understand. And one day, he'll be able to convince you that he _really _loves you and he _really_ isn't going anywhere.'

The green girl fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. 'Do you really think so?'

Galinda rolled her eyes at her friend and shoved Elphaba off the bed and towards the door. 'Go. Talk to him. And stay over at his room – I don't want to see you here for at least two days.'

Elphaba laughed. 'Thanks, Lin. Again. Somehow, you always know exactly what to say to make me feel better.'

'That's what best friends are for,' Galinda told her cheerfully before pushing her out of the door and locking it behind her friend. 'Good luck!'

* * *

When Fiyero opened the door and saw that it was Elphaba who had knocked, he was pleasantly surprised. 'Hey.'

She was fidgeting. 'Hey.' She gestured towards the door. 'Can I come in?'

'Of course,' he said quickly, stepping aside when he realised he had been blocking the door. He closed it behind her and turned around. 'I'm glad you're here,' he confessed. 'I thought you were mad at me.'

She spun around to face him, surprised. 'What? Why?'

He ran his fingers through his hair. 'I don't know… I got the feeling that you were avoiding me, so I thought perhaps I had done something…'

She was shaking her head frantically. 'I was, kind of, avoiding you,' she admitted. 'But not for the reasons you think.'

He looked at her more closely and his face fell. 'You're having doubts.'

She nodded mutely and he sighed and raked his fingers through his already messy hair once more. 'I'm sorry, Fae. I really am. I never wanted to push you, and if you don't feel ready to marry me…'

'Wait,' she interrupted him. 'What? No! That's not what I meant!'

He let out a shaky breath. 'You're not having doubts about the wedding?'

'No!' She walked up to him and started playing with the buttons on his shirt, not looking up at his face. 'It's just… I still can't believe…'

'You still doubt that I love you?'

She blushed. 'I'm sorry, I shouldn't have… I'm so stupid,' she exclaimed in exasperation, but he took her hands, preventing them from fidgeting with his buttons any longer, and looked into her eyes. 'Fae… You're not stupid. If anyone in this world isn't stupid, it's you. It's okay to have doubts, really. You're just going to have to wait and see, and I hope that in time, I'll be able to convince you, but until then… I'll be patient with you, I promise. Just don't shut me out again, please?'

She buried her face in his shirt, determined not to cry _again_ – oh, how she hated those hormones! 'I love you,' she whispered into his shirt, and she felt him smile. 'I love you more. Are you staying?'

She nodded, her cheek still pressed against his chest, and he kissed the top of her head. 'Good.'

* * *

He woke up in the middle of the night to find her gone. He heard her voice, however, so he quietly slipped out of bed and walked bare-footed towards the living room, where he stopped in the doorway. She was sitting in the window sill, talking to herself – or to her stomach, he realised, and he smiled slightly at that. His smile faded, however, when he heard what she was saying.

'I don't think I can do this,' she confessed to her unborn baby in a whisper. 'I've never even been good with children… What if I screw it up? I couldn't even protect you earlier – you had to use your own powers to save us both, and that's not how it's supposed to work. I'm your mother, I'm supposed to keep _you _safe, not the other way around… And now you're not even a real baby yet. What will happen if you are born? What if I can't take care of you?' She paused and pulled up her legs, hugging them as she stared out of the window. 'And then the nightmares… I know I promised Galinda I would tell Fiyero about them, but I… I can't. I don't want to worry him. But I'm scared… I have a bad feeling. What if they turn out to be prophecies after all? What if Frex really…' She couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence and laughed softly. 'Oz, your Daddy would kill me if he knew I kept this from him.'

'He sure would,' Fiyero said a little grumpy from the doorway and Elphaba jumped, staring at him with huge brown eyes. 'Fiyero!' She hesitated and shifted a little. 'How much of that did you hear?'

'Enough,' he answered, eyeing her with concern. 'What nightmares, Fae?'

She turned away from him, hugging herself, staring out the window. 'Nothing.'

He gently drew her to him. 'Don't do this, don't shut me out. Talk to me. Please?'

She sighed and gave in. 'Do you remember that time when I woke you up with my screaming? When I had that nightmare about Frex k-,' she swallowed difficultly, 'killing you?'

He unconsciously drew her even closer, rubbing circles on her back. 'Yes.'

'That wasn't the only one I've had,' she confessed softly. 'They come back every night – sometimes more than once a night. Mostly, they're similar to the one I had that night – Frex coming to take away the baby, you trying to stop him and then he- he kills you… And then he comes after me. But sometimes he kills other people, too – Nessa, or Galinda, or Boq… Once, I dreamt about him cutting the baby out of me while I was still alive…' A sob rippled through her body at that and she sniffed. 'This is why I didn't want to tell you. Because one, you'd be worried and two, I'd be crying, and I hate both.'

Fiyero only held her. 'Oh, Fae… I wish you did tell me. I hate the thought of you going through all of that alone – you should have woken me up.' He tilted her head so that she was looking at him. 'Promise me you'll wake me up next time you have a nightmare.'

'I promise,' she said softly and she pulled away from him, sitting back down on the window sill, staring out of the window. 'Fiyero?'

He moved a bit closer. 'Yes?'

She hesitated, then asked softly, 'What would you do if the baby was green?'

He sighed. 'Elphaba…'

'I'm serious.' She turned around to face him, a grave expression on her face, a worried look in her eyes. 'What would you do?'

He sat down next to her and gazed into her dark eyes. 'I would love it just as much as I love its mother. I wouldn't care, Fae. I promise you that.'

She nodded slowly. 'Okay.'

He held out his hand to her. 'Come back to bed?'

She nodded again and took his hand, and he gasped as he felt her ice cold fingers. '_Oz_, Fae, you're freezing!' He pulled her back to the bedroom with him and urged her to lie down, tucking the blanket around her and wrapping her into his arms, rubbing her cold skin with the woollen blanket. 'You okay?' he asked, a little concerned, when she didn't say anything. She didn't respond and he hovered over her to take a look at her face. He smiled, however, when he realised she had just fallen asleep already.

He pulled her close to him and closed his own eyes as well.

* * *

When he woke up again in the middle of the next night, however, she was gone again, and he got out of bed, cursing her stubbornness under his breath. He found her at the exact same spot he had found her in the night before, sitting in the window sill, gazing out of the window. She looked up and smiled at him as she saw him. 'Hey.'

He gave her a stern look. 'I thought I made you promise to wake me up when you had another nightmare.'

She shook her head. 'I didn't have a nightmare.'

He moved to sit next to her in the window sill. 'Why did you wake up, then?'

She smiled again, a dreamy look on her face as she looked down at her stomach, one hand resting upon it. 'I had a vision.'

Her demeanour was worrying him. 'You okay?'

'Yeah…' She looked out of the window again, her features soft in the scarce light. 'I saw her,' she said quietly. 'She has your eyes, Yero, and my black hair… and she's not green.' Her smile returned. 'She's perfect…'

'You saw our child? Are you sure?' He moved closer to her and she snuggled up against him, resting her head on his shoulder. 'Positive. Sometimes the visions seem like dreams and I'm not sure whether they're real or not, but this one was very clear… We're having a baby girl, Yero.'

He smiled, too, at the thought of that. Then she spoke up again, softly. 'I would like to name her Elyssah.'

'Elyssah…' He mused over the name for a few moments. 'I like it. It's pretty. What does it mean?'

'It was my maternal grandmother's name,' she said quietly. She lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him. 'It means 'blissful'.'

He smiled and kissed her. 'It's perfect.' He bent over to level his face with her stomach. 'You hear that, baby? You're going to be a girl, and you have a name now. I can't wait to meet you!'

Elphaba chuckled. 'Is it normal for parents-to-be to talk to their unborn baby?'

He laughed. 'What do I care? If we want to talk to our unborn baby, we're going to talk to our unborn baby. Let them think we're crazy.'

'Daddy can be a bit silly at times, Elyssah,' Elphaba told her stomach, grinning. 'But don't worry, you'll get used to that.'

He whacked her arm, laughing. 'Come on, Miss Sitting-in-the-window-sill-in-the-middle-of-the-night, let's get you back to bed.'

* * *

Things got better again after that. Weeks passed, and Elphaba didn't seem to get any bigger at all – although Galinda was convinced she could see a tiny little bump forming. Her morning sickness and dizziness gradually improved and things with Fiyero were going well, while Boq, Nessa and Galinda were all there to support them. It was a nice break from the stress and tension a few weeks before.

Tonight, Elphaba was sitting on her bed in hers and Galinda's room, legs dangling back and forth, as she waited for Galinda to finish up in the bathroom. Fiyero, Boq and Nessa were there as well – they had arrived around ten minutes earlier and the four of them had been waiting ever since. They would go to the Shiz Café together to have a drink and Galinda, as usual, was taking _hours _to prepare.

'Galinda! Hurry up!' Elphaba shouted towards the bathroom door, and Galinda poked her head around it for a moment. 'Elphie, making oneself beautiful should not be rushed in _any _circumstances. You're just going to have to wait a little bit longer.'

The green girl groaned and the others laughed as there came a knock on the door. Boq jumped up to open it. 'A letter for you,' he said to Elphaba as he returned. 'Looks like my parents' handwriting.'

Elphaba took the envelope from him and nodded. 'The retour address is in Munchkinland. Probably an update on how things are going back there – they've been sending those to Nessa and me regularly for the past few weeks. I'll read it when we get back.'

'You might as well read it now,' Nessa suggested. 'Galinda will probably take another while, and I'm kind of curious about what's going on back home.'

Elphaba smiled at her sister and shrugged as she tore open the envelope. 'Sure. Let's see what they've got to say.' She started reading, but after a few moments, she paled visibly. 'Fabala? Are you all right?' Nessa asked, slightly worried, but her sister did not respond.

_Dear Elphaba,_

_This is probably the hardest letter I have ever had to write, and I hate to tell you this way. We honestly wanted to come and tell you this in person, but we have obligations here, now more than ever, and we couldn't leave. Our sincerest apologies._

_I want to tell you in advance to please not worry too much. Be careful, but don't let it get into your head; everything will probably be all right within no time, but we felt like you needed to know nonetheless. Elphaba… Last night, Frex escaped from prison._

She couldn't read on after that – her mind just wouldn't take in any other words. Instead, those four words just kept swimming in front of her eyes. _Frex escaped from prison_… _Frex escaped from prison._

'Fae?' she heard Fiyero ask in a concerned tone of voice, but he seemed far away, as if his voice came from under water. She broke into a cold sweat and she was trembling all over, swaying slightly on her feet. Fiyero was with her in an instant, sliding his arm around her waist to support her, but she barely noted his presence. Her eyes were fixed on the letter in her hand.

_Frex escaped from prison._

The letter whirled down towards the floor and the room started spinning.

Then she collapsed in a dead faint.


	20. Nightmares Coming True

**AN: Your reviews made me laugh :D. Operation KFTBHCGTE has hereby officially started! (I'm totally for the 'off with his head'-attitude, but even _thinking_ about _eating _Frex's head kind of makes me puke. So BlueD, if you feel like having Frex's head for dinner, go ahead, but I don't think I'll be joining you :3.)**

**Failey, let me know when you know how your audition went! What role did you go for? :)**

**Hmm... I'd like my code name to be a mix of Elphaba's name and my own, as well, but 'Elphaba' (or any variants on that) and 'Maddy' don't really match well... Elphaddy? :P Or perhaps I'll just stick with Maddy-Fae, since that's my account username anyway ^^.**

* * *

'_FIYERO!_!'

He shot up immediately and looked at Elphaba, who was tossing and turning and crying in her sleep. He was awake instantly and started shaking her, a little too hard. 'Fae!'

Her eyes snapped open and she blinked a few times before the fog disappeared from her huge chocolate brown eyes and she seemed to realise where she was. 'Yero?'

He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her hair. She was trembling. 'That's the third one tonight,' he commented softly. 'Don't you worry, Fae, I'm here. Nothing is going to happen to any of us, I promise. You can go back to sleep – I'll be right here.'

She whimpered against his chest. 'I don't want to go back to sleep. Every time I close my eyes, he's there to…' She didn't finish that and her voice trailed away as he cradled her to his chest. 'Fae, you've barely slept in days. You need to put this off your mind or you're going to make yourself sick. And it's not healthy for the baby, either.'

'If he gets his wish, there soon won't be any baby to keep healthy anymore,' she whispered and he tightened his grip on her. 'Don't talk like that. He won't get his wish, Fae, he won't.'

After a while, he drifted off again, but she didn't sleep again all night and when she met Galinda in class the next day, the blonde gasped. '_Elphie_… I thought I told you to take the weekend to catch up on your sleep, but you look even more horrendible than you did last Friday! What happened? Did you have more nightmares?'

She grumbled something unintelligible as she took her seat and Galinda turned to face Fiyero, who had followed the green girl. 'I'm worried about her, Fiyero. She's barely spoken two words to us since that letter.'

Fiyero sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. 'I know. She does talk to me, but she just… She's been having even more nightmares than before, usually more than once a night, and she wakes up at least _three _times a night. She just can't get it out of her head – she's terrified that he'll come after her or the baby, or after one of us.'

Galinda sighed sadly. 'Poor Elphie.'

Nessa tried to talk to her sister as well, but Elphaba refused to say anything. When Fiyero set out to look for her after his last class, he discovered her in a tree once again, staring at the lake in the distance without really seeing anything. He clambered up the tree until he was sitting opposite her. 'Hey.'

She didn't respond and he sighed. 'Look, Fae…'

'He's going to come after me.'

It sounded flat, as if she didn't feel anything at that whatsoever, but he knew better. 'You don't know that for sure.'

She nodded, slowly, without tearing her gaze away from the horizon. 'Yes, I do. I saw it. I _feel _it. He's on his way here right now, and when he gets here, there's no stopping him. He's going to get what he wants, no matter how hard we fight him.'

Fiyero grabbed her hands, his grip so tight that it almost hurt her. '_Don't _do this. That's not true. Even if he _is _heading this way, we'll deal with him. We can do that. We're all in this together, Fae, and no one is going to get hurt again, I promise you that.'

She finally looked at him, her large eyes filled with sadness. 'I wish I could believe that, too.'

He squeezed her hands and wanted to say something else, but then there was suddenly a loud cracking noise and he looked down. His eyes widened as he realised what was happening and the next moment he knew, the branch on which he was sitting snapped and he fell down, screeching like a girl, hitting the ground with a loud _thump_. He groaned. '_Ouch_.'

Elphaba jumped down branch after branch and was beside him in a clock-tick, hovering over him, her eyes worried. 'You okay?'

'I am, _physically_,' he grunted, pulling a face, and she laughed softly – for the first time in days, which made his heart flutter. 'Oh, but your poor ego appears to be damaged beyond repair,' she said teasingly and he grinned and pulled her down with him. 'It might get better if you kiss it.'

'Well, where in the body does the ego stay?' she asked him, and he tapped his lips. 'Right there.'

She kissed him, then smiled at him. 'Better?'

'Yes. It's good to see you smile again,' he told her seriously, at which said smile immediately faded and she looked down. 'Fiyero…'

'Hey.' He sat up and took her hands. 'I mean it, Fae. Stop worrying. If something would happen, we'll deal with it once it does, okay?'

She sighed, but gave in. 'Fine.'

* * *

Quite honestly, Fiyero hadn't exactly _expected _something to happen. He figured that if Frex had gotten out of prison, he would find a place to hide and stay to live the rest of his life in peace, not come after his eldest daughter to try and keep his family from being 'disgraced' – that would be too late, anyway, given that everyone knew about Elphaba's pregnancy by now, and that the Governor himself was in prison and all.

But Fiyero was wrong. So very wrong.

And he'd find out about that soon enough.

They had told Morrible about Mr. Parlone's letter and though she appeared to be worried about it, she had assured them that security on campus was high and that, should Frex try to come after his daughter, he would never get past it. 'Don't worry, dearies, you're all completely safe here,' she had told them a little too cheerfully, but he had been able to tell that Elphaba hadn't believed her in the slightest.

He also wrote to his parents, telling them about what had happened – the news from Munchkinland, Elphaba's nightmares, and he admitted that he wasn't sure what to do. His mother's reply came the next day and was stern and simple: _Fiyero Tiggular, you get your royal butt back here to the Vinkus right now and you take Elphaba and her friends with you. I won't stand for anything if something should happen to her, especially in her current state. You can all continue Shiz next year, I'm sure Morrible will understand, but until that madman is captured again, I want you all to be safe. Come to the Vinkus as soon as possible or I'm coming to Shiz to drag you and Elphaba back here by myself._

He had told Elphaba about that. At first, she hadn't wanted to hear any of it. 'I'm not leaving Galinda, Boq and Nessa here by themselves,' she had declared. 'What if he decides he wants to take revenge on me by going after them? I couldn't bear that, Fiyero.'

'They're all invited,' Fiyero had hurried to explain. 'My Mom just wants you and the baby to be safe, and since she knows you wouldn't leave on your own, she wants all five of us to travel to the Vinkus immediately. I think it's a good idea, Fae. I don't want you to get hurt, and that man…'

She had thought about it and reluctantly agreed. 'If Galinda, Boq and Nessa are in, then so am I,' she had said, and Fiyero had immediately dashed off to talk to their friends. They all agreed; Fiyero had went to see Morrible to arrange things – thankfully, she understood and wished them luck – and now they were preparing to leave for the Vinkus the next day.

That afternoon, however, when he and Elphaba were walking back from class together towards the girls' dorm, Elphaba suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. 'Something isn't right.'

He looked at her patiently, convinced that she was just having a panic attack again. 'Fae, everything is okay…'

She shook her head, feeling the goose bumps all over her body, a nauseating feeling nestling in her stomach. 'No, it's not. I can sense it.'

Suddenly, Boq came running towards them, eyes wide with terror. 'Fiyero… Elphaba, I think you'd better come quickly.' Elphaba closed her eyes for a moment, composing herself as she strongly suspected where this was going, while Fiyero merely looked at the Munchkin boy in confusion. 'What's wrong?'

Boq took a breath. 'He has Galinda.'

It took a moment for realisation to dawn on Fiyero, but when it did, he gasped. Elphaba, however, wasn't surprised at all. 'Where are they?'

Boq pointed towards the dorms. 'Behind the building. Nessa is trying to talk some sense into him, but…'

Elphaba shook her head. 'That's not going to work.' She started in the direction Boq had pointed at, but Fiyero held her back. 'Now wait just a clock-tick. You're not going anywhere near him!'

She looked up at him, trying not to show the panic she was feeling inside. 'He'll kill Galinda if it comes down to it. I won't let that happen, Fiyero. If it's me he wants, then I'm the one he's going to get.' She started walking again, and again, Fiyero grabbed her arm to stop her. 'You're not surrendering yourself to him! I won't let you!'

A high-pitched shriek filled the air and with one more look at Fiyero, Elphaba started to run in the direction of the sound, with Boq and Fiyero right behind her. She froze in her tracks when she caught sight of Frex, holding Galinda in his grasp and pressing a knife against her throat. The blonde was weeping softly and her body shuddered in fear, her blue eyes wide. Frex looked up when he heard her and with an evil grin, pointed the gun he was holding in his other hand at his eldest daughter.

'Let her go,' Elphaba said through clenched teeth, but Frex merely glared at her. 'Only if you're coming with me.'

'What could you possibly want with me now?' she wanted to know. 'Everyone already knows I'm pregnant, so there's no disgrace to hide anymore, is there?'

He shook his head. 'I changed plans. I want your baby.'

Her hand flew towards her stomach. '_What_?!'

'I want your baby,' he said, glaring at her. 'Apparently, I've done an awful job raising you and your sister, as you both turned against me in the end.' He turned to face Nessa. 'How could you do this to me, Nessarose? You were my pearl, my angel…'

The girl was shaking her head. 'What you're doing is wrong,' she stated. 'You won't get away with this.'

'Oh, I think I will.' He looked back at Elphaba. 'So here's what's going to happen. You're coming with me and I'm going to lock you up until you're ready to give birth. Then I'll take your baby – unless it's green, of course, in which case I'll just choke it-,' Elphaba made a strangled sound at that, 'and then I'm going to leave Oz with that baby and you'll never hear from me again. I don't care what happens to you anymore, I just want that baby.'

'Never,' she said flatly.

'Oh, we'll see about that,' he growled, pressing his knife harder against Galinda's throat. She squeaked in fear and a small line of blood formed on her skin. 'Do you want me to cut her throat?' He pointed his gun towards Boq. 'To kill off your friends? You know I'm going to win in the end.'

Her eyes were blazing as she tried to focus on calling for her powers, but Frex merely laughed hollowly. 'Don't bother, child. I had a witch doctor in some small village spell me before I got here – your magic won't affect me.'

That didn't keep her from trying, of course, but to her absolute horror, she found that he was right. She couldn't freeze him or knock him over or anything; he was immune to her magic.

Fiyero, who had wrapped his arm around her from behind, was whispering soothing words in her ear, but she now knew that Frex was right. She could not let him kill Galinda – she couldn't before and she couldn't now, even if that meant that she would have to surrender and go with him. She still had over six months before she was due; she could figure out a way to escape in that time.

She stepped forward, shrugging off Fiyero's arm. 'Fine.'

Nessa gasped and Fiyero tried to pull his fiancée back, but she took another step towards Frex. 'I'll go with you. Just let her go.'

He did, but he kept pointing his gun at Galinda as he beckoned his eldest daughter. 'Come here or I swear, I _will _shoot her.'

She had no doubt he would and so she started walking towards him, her heart pounding in her chest. Her ears caught the slightest sound behind her and she knew what was happening. This situation was awfully similar to the nightmares she had had, and she knew that in a few clock-ticks, Fiyero would jump forward to protect her… and Frex would kill him.

She anticipated Fiyero's next move and turned around to face him, fire in her eyes, as she focused her magic on him. He struggled, but except for his face, he couldn't move; he was frozen. His eyes widened when he realised what she was doing. 'Fae!'

'I don't want you to get hurt, Yero,' she said softly, her throat clogged with unshed tears. 'I'm sorry.'

'Father!' Nessa cried desperately, not able to move – she, Boq and Galinda were frozen, too. 'You can't do this! Please stop this!'

'I can do whatever I want, Nessarose,' Frex snarled, impatiently beckoning for Elphaba to hurry up. She reached him and he roughly turned her around and started tying up her wrists, causing her powers to lose focus and the others could move again. They all wanted to jump forwards, but Frex pressed the barrel of his gun against Elphaba's head. 'If one of you as much as _moves_, she's dead.'

They all froze immediately and when he was done tying her up, Frex dragged her towards the horse he had arrived on. 'Get on.'

He made her sit in front of him, so that he could watch her closely, as he climbed up himself. Galinda watched with wide blue eyes as Fiyero was kidnapping her best friend right in front of her eyes… yet there was nothing she could do. It was awful.

Just then, however, when Frex was focused on getting on the horse, Fiyero launched himself forward, a desperate look in his eyes, determined to save the girl he loved. Frex was quicker, however; he aimed his gun at Fiyero and fired.

The gunshot echoed across campus and for a clock-tick, there was complete silence. Galinda watched in horror as Fiyero collapsed on the ground, a pool of blood forming around him. She didn't think she would ever be able to forget the heartbreaking, bloodcurdling scream, the sound of pure agony, that escaped Elphaba's lips.

Frex, however, hit her hard across the head with his gun, causing her to fall unconscious immediately. Then he kicked his horses sides and stormed off, taking Elphaba with him.


	21. Losing Hope

**AN: I'm just really glad you're all directing your fury at Frex right now and not at me... although I think that will change after this chapter :3.**

**Let me warn you beforehand: as the title suggests, this chapter is dark, sad, and depressing. It made me depressed just writing it. I promise all will be well in the end, though - one way or another. Also, Elphaba's timeline goes faster in this chapter than the Shiz-timeline does, but I'm going to set that straight in the next chapter - it just seemed fitting to do it this way now.**

**Next update tomorrow - promise! Don't want to leave you all depressed for too long :).**

**By the way, not sure anymore who asked this some time ago, but yes, I confess, I got the baby-with-powers-in-the-womb-idea from Charmed :3. I love Charmed. And somehow, the unborn baby with powers wriggled its way into my story :P.**

**Failey: loved your parody song. Made me laugh my head off :D. Now the song's stuck in my head . (Oh, and FYI: you did spell irrelevant right earlier ^^.)**

**And I always forget that it's five hours earlier in the US... where most of you come from, I take it. It's just past midnight here right now - somehow, I usually update late at night. What can I say? I write best in my warm bed with my laptop on my... lap. That's probably why it's called a laptop :P. So that means it's like seven pm with most of you guys now... which is kinda weird. I posted a chapter in the morning once, and I was kind of disappointed that no one reviewed in the hours following, but the time difference explains it... you were probably all still asleep :3. Hihi.**

**I'm rambling. Let's get on with the story. Oh, and virtual Easter eggs for those who read this entire, way too long author's note :).**

* * *

It took them a few clock-ticks to come to their senses and realise that Fiyero was lying in a rapidly growing pool of his own blood.

'Oh my Oz!' Galinda cried and Nessa gasped, clutching both hands over her mouth in horror. 'Fiyero! Is he all right?'

'Does he _look _all right?!' Galinda snapped, and Boq, who had kneeled down next to his friend, looked up with a pale face. 'I don't think he's breathing.'

Something in Galinda's mind clicked. Usually, she would have been among the first to panic, but in those cases there had always been someone – usually Elphie - to take the lead, to be the sensible one, to know what to do. Now, Boq and Nessa both seemed ready to either cry or faint, and Galinda knew she had to be the one to stay calm and practical this time. For Fiyero. For Elphaba.

'Move,' she commanded and Boq obliged immediately. She kneeled down next to Fiyero, suppressing the sinking feeling in her stomach. Fiyero wasn't breathing and she couldn't locate a heartbeat, either, but she didn't want to give up right away. Years ago, her father had taught her something she had never expected she would ever have to use. He had learned it from his father before him and he wanted Galinda to know how it was done, too, just in case; she was immensely grateful to him now that he had taught her how it was done.

She placed the palms of her hands on his chest and started pressing down on it, counting along under her breath. Nessa and Boq watched with wide eyes until Galinda looked up and snapped, 'Don't just stand there! Go and get help – he needs to get to a hospital!'

That seemed to snap them out of it and Boq immediately ran away in search for help. Nessa watched with wide eyes and a trembling lower lip as Galinda kept pressing on Fiyero's chest, then brought her mouth to his and breathed air into his lungs. She kept going, listening for a breath or a heartbeat every few clock-ticks. She pressed her ear against his chest and listened intently; then she finally released the breath she had been holding, looking relieved. 'I hear a heartbeat.'

Nessa wept at that, but Galinda wasn't finished by far. She started ripping off pieces of her frilly yellow dress – trying not to feel too horrified by that, since Fiyero's life was clearly more important than the life of her dress, even though it happened to be one of her favourites – and pressed them against the gun wound. It had entered his stomach and there was a lot of blood, but she could hear his breathing now, laboured, quick gasps, but breathing nonetheless. Her pretty face twisted in an expression of relief when she saw the ambulance carriage approaching. 'Over here!' she cried and a few ambulance brothers came rushing towards her. 'Please help him,' Galinda begged. Nessa could only cry, burying her face in Boq's shoulder as he knelt down next to her, murmuring reassuring things in her ear.

They took a taxi to follow the ambulance to the hospital. Fiyero was in surgery – that was all they would tell the three friends, since they weren't family. Galinda, still in practical mode, immediately wrote a letter to Fiyero's parents, sending it by express post, after which she tried to comfort Boq and Nessa and coax the nurses into telling her something, _anything_, about Fiyero's current condition, but they either didn't know or wouldn't tell her.

They waited all afternoon and evening, and it was nearly midnight when Fiyero's parents rushed in, with Paro close behind them. They all started talking at the same time. 'Where is he?' Lori asked breathlessly. 'Will he be all right?'

'Is he still alive?' Fiyero's father wanted to know. 'What _happened_?'

Paro was the first to look around and notice Elphaba's absence, connecting the dots. 'And where is Elphaba?' he asked quietly. He looked at Galinda, bracing himself against the answer to his next question. 'Was it Frex?'

She nodded mutely; then, she finally lost her composure and burst into tears. She didn't even have the energy to feel embarrassed when she flung herself in Paro's arms, clinging to him as she sobbed into his shirt, soaking it with her tears. He didn't mind, either; he wasn't sure what had happened, but watching Fiyero get shot and Elphaba – at least, that was what he assumed had happened – kidnapped, must have been awful for the blonde girl.

'Are you related to Fiyero Tiggular?' a nurse asked, causing everyone to jump to their feet – well, except for Nessa, of course. 'Yes, we're his parents,' Lori said quickly, gesturing towards herself and Hamold.

'And I'm his cousin,' Paro added. 'Where is he? Is he going to be okay?'

The nurse hesitated. 'You might want to come with me.'

'That doesn't sound good,' Nessa whispered to Boq. 'Does that sound good?'

'It doesn't,' he agreed softly, holding her hand tightly.

They waited for what felt like hours, while in reality, it was only a few minutes. Then Lori, Hamold and Paro returned. Lori was covering her mouth with her hand in horror and tears were streaming down her face; Hamold was trying to comfort her, but he seemed to be on the verge of crying himself, and Paro looked awfully pale. 'So?' Galinda asked in a small voice. 'What did they say?'

'They removed the bullet,' Hamold said quietly. When he didn't say anything else, Boq prodded gently, 'And?'

'He's lost a lot of blood,' Lori whispered, gripping her husband's hand so tightly her knuckles turned white. 'The bullet pierced his stomach and grazed his lung, and they tried their hardest, but…' She started weeping again, quietly, and Hamold pressed his lips to her hair and whispered something in her ear. Then he looked back at the youngsters gravely. 'They don't think he's going to make it.'

* * *

'You are _insane_,' Elphaba hissed furiously, struggling to break free of the ropes that were still tied around her wrists and ankles.

'Probably,' Frex agreed ominously. 'That doesn't change anything about your current situation, though.'

'I _hate _you,' she spat. 'You're trying to take my baby away. You _shot _Fiyero!'

'I'm not _trying _anything, Elphaba,' Frex sneered. 'I _am _going to take your baby. And your little boyfriend had it coming. He was annoying – I should have killed him weeks ago.'

Elphaba faltered and paled visibly, staring at him with wide eyes. 'Do you mean… Is he…'

Frex snorted. 'Please, child. Did you not _see _the pool of blood? I bet he bled to death even before they could get him to a hospital – I have good aim.' He collected his things and untied the ropes. He re-attached one of the ropes around her one wrist and tied the other end to the bedpost, so that she would be able to move throughout the room, but not any further. 'Don't bother trying to undo that,' he said with a dismissive wave of his hand as he noticed her starting to pick at the knots. 'Witch doctors are pretty useful if you pay them enough. The rope is enchanted – you need a special potion to be able to undo the knots.'

'You always said magic was sinful,' she commented softly, and he snorted. 'It's too late for that. You have brought sin upon our family, you forced me to sin in order to keep you from disgracing us… Now we're all sinful and we're all disgraced. It doesn't matter anymore – I'm past all that.' He walked towards the door. 'Don't even _think _about trying to escape,' he warned her. 'You'll never succeed, and even if you do, I'll find you, no matter what, and I know where to find your friends, too.' With that, he left the room, locking the door behind him.

Her legs were so shaky she felt like they could give in any minute, and so she sank down onto the bed, trying to wrap her mind around what Frex had said. Fiyero was… She couldn't comprehend it. He couldn't be dead, he just couldn't.

'I'm so sorry, Elyssah,' she whispered, tears forming in her eyes and silently dripping down her cheeks. 'I failed you. I couldn't protect your father… and now I'm afraid I can't protect you, either.'

She curled up on the bed, lying on her side in a fetal position, hands folded across her stomach. She could finally feel it swell a bit – she had been worried about her abdomen still being flat a few weeks before, but the pregnancy books, as well as Fiyero's mother, had assured her that it wasn't uncommon for skinny women to start showing only later in the pregnancy. She had been looking forward to that moment, where the love she shared with Fiyero would become visible not only to themselves, but to the entire world. Now, however, she resented it. Her soon-to-be baby bump would no longer represent everything she was lucky enough to have, but rather everything she had lost or would lose in the near future, and she didn't think she could bear that.

'Lys…' She curled further into herself, both hands pressing hard against her abdomen. 'I am so, so sorry to let you down…'

She couldn't feel the baby move, of course – she wouldn't be able to for a few more months; she felt _something_, however, and somehow, she knew it was Elyssah and it comforted her a little. She wasn't alone. She felt like falling apart, especially now that she knew Fiyero to be dead, but she had to stay strong. She had to drag herself through this and save herself and her unborn child. She owed Elyssah that much and somehow, she found a little bit of her old strength again. She sat up gingerly, determined not to wallow in self-pity for too long. 'My promise is still standing,' she whispered to her stomach. 'I'm not sure anymore if everything will ever be _okay _again, but I _will _try everything in my power to protect you. I'm just not sure if I can, with your Daddy…' She choked on the word 'gone' and her voice trailed away. She would _not _allow herself to think about Fiyero right now. She knew Frex was most certainly right about him being dead by now – there had been so much blood, no one could survive that… but she'd have to grieve later. Right now, she needed to figure out a way to get out of here. But first she had to find out where 'here' was, exactly.

She sighed and lay back down on her back, staring at the ceiling, trying to block Fiyero from her thoughts. The harder she tried, though, the more thought of him forced themselves on her, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She felt strange all of a sudden, faint; she quite literally felt her power drain away and she panicked for a moment, afraid that something was wrong with the baby, but then she recognised the feeling. It was quite similar to the time when Elyssah had tapped into her powers to save them… but what was she trying to do now, then?

'What are you up to, little one?' Elphaba whispered to her unborn daughter. 'Are you trying to do something? Get us out of here?'

An image flickered before her eyes for a moment and she gasped as she recognized it as a vision, but it was blurry and it only lasted for a clock-tick, gone so fast she hadn't even been able to identify what it had been exactly that she had seen. 'Lys? Are you trying to show me something?' she said softly, propping herself up against the pillows to sit up straight. She could still feel the baby tapping into her powers, but it didn't worry her anymore. She wasn't sure what Elyssah was doing, but it didn't appear to have any effect now, anyway. And so she went back to not thinking about Fiyero – causing her to think of nothing _but _him for the next hour, until she gave in, hid herself underneath the blankets and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

Finding out where she was didn't prove to be easy, as she discovered in the days thereafter. Frex kept her locked in this one dark room, with nothing but a bed in it; there weren't any windows, and no matter how hard she tried to break down the one door or even one of the walls, none of them budged, not even when she released her powers on them . She suspected Frex had had that witch doctor of his cast that anti-magic spell on this room as well.

She had lost control a few times, sparks flying all around as she threw her magic at the walls and the door again and again, yelling curses at the top of her lungs, just because being angry was so much easier than being sad. If she cried now, she would break down, and so she channelled her emotions into her magic, causing her to have outbursts more and more often. Still to no avail, though. She was locked up and she remained so.

The only times Frex came to visit was when he brought her food, dry bread and water two times a day, and he never left without taunting her. He always brought up Galinda, or Boq or Nessa or, quite often, Fiyero, and he would say the nastiest things about them – things that caused her to fly off the handle again, but his witch doctor spell did its work well; her magic couldn't affect him. One day, when he had said especially mean things about Fiyero, she had literally flung herself at him, giving up on magic and resorting to physical violence instead, screeching and biting and clawing at him like a mad cat. He had hurriedly disappeared, once again locking the door tightly behind him. She would have to spend the next day without any food.

That night she cried herself to sleep, as she usually did now, and as always, she was haunted by horrible nightmares about her friends and Frex and Elyssah and Fiyero – mostly Fiyero – all night long, causing her to bolt upright in bed in the darkest hours of the night, sweating profusely and panting as if she had been running for hours. She would curl up into herself again, comforting herself by softly talking to Elyssah, which somehow made her feel better for a moment, but she knew she couldn't go on like this. She felt as if she was being pulled at from two different sides; part of her just wanted to curl up in a corner and die, so at least she would be able to be with Fiyero again, while a small voice in the back of her brain screamed at her that she couldn't give up, that she had to keep fighting, for her daughter. She knew that voice to be right, of course, but it was so incredibly hard right now.

She could feel Elyssah's power build slowly inside of her. Her daughter still tried, every now and then, to show her the vision she apparently wanted Elphaba to see, but she didn't appear strong enough yet – she couldn't come through. But as the weeks passed and Elyssah – plus Elphaba's stomach – slowly grew bigger, Elphaba could feel her unborn daughter getting stronger. Perhaps soon she _would _be able to show her that vision after all.

She herself wasn't doing well, however. She was still trying to stay strong, doing her very best, but every day, a little of her old strength and willpower seemed to crumble down. She was a ghost of her former self, awfully skinny – especially given her current condition – and hollow-eyed. Her magic outbursts had seized; instead, she just lay on the bed now, staring at the ceiling or the wall, talking to Elyssah as if to prevent herself from going crazy, although she strongly suspected she was heading in that direction anyway. The more she thought about it, the more hopeless her situation seemed. And every time she thought about Fiyero dying, her heart broke – no, _shattered_, into tiny little pieces - all over again. The only thing keeping her from dying right now, the only thing that kept her going – if you could call it that – was her daughter. She started to fear, however, that it wouldn't be enough.

She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold up before she would break… for good this time.

* * *

'Mr. and Mrs. Tiggular?'

The royal couple turned to face the doctor who had come up to them and was now looking at them with a grave expression on his face. 'I'm very sorry, sir, ma'am. We've tried everything, but your son doesn't respond to the treatment. The bullet has done too much damage and he has lost too much blood; there's nothing we can do for him anymore.'

Lori buried her face in her husband's shoulder, crying and Hamold looked at the doctor with wet eyes. 'How much longer?'

The doctor hesitated. 'Half an hour… an hour at most. I think it would be wisest for you to go and say goodbye to him right now. Even though he won't be conscious, that will be easier than when he has already…'

'We'll do that,' Paro cut him off rather rudely. 'Thank you.'

The doctor nodded, flashed them a sympathetic smile and left them. Paro took a deep breath and looked around at Fiyero's friends and family. They were all shocked for a moment, but that changed soon enough.

Paro tried his hardest to maintain his composure as everyone around him broke down. He took Galinda's hand and squeezed it, then looked around at the others. 'Come on,' he said softly. 'Let's go say goodbye.'

* * *

**Told ya.**

**If you kill me now, you won't find out how I'm going to solve this. Take out your anger on Frex instead! :D**

**I should do a oneshot parody on a bunch of Wicked fans (including BlueD, Wicked4Life and, of course, Failey) hunting down and killing Frex. That could be interesting :D.**


	22. Visions And Impulsive Decisions

**AN: Some of you already guessed what's going to happen next: Fiyero is going to die.**

**...**

**Nah, kidding of course. I could never do that. The part where some of you guessed what was going to happen wasn't a joke, though. Read and see.**

**Congrats on your role Failey! :)**

**RavenCurls, I'm a disaster with things like timezones, but I'm pretty sure the US is a few hours behind on the Netherlands... I remember that Willemijn's premiere as Elphaba on Broadway was at 7 pm in the US, while that was 1 am here with us... plus I just looked it up :3.**

**By the way, since it's almost 1.30 am here (oh my gosh, I need to go to sleep): Happy Easter to you all! :P**

**Anyway, that oneshot. At first I was like, 'guys... I was _joking_' but then somehow I found myself opening an empty Word document and typing and typing, and voilà, there was a oneshot about my reviewers and myself killing Frex. It's silly and it doesn't make sense at all, but it was fun to write and I'll post it if you want me to. BUT... first I need to know who I can include in it - I don't think anyone is going to sue me for using their pen names in a oneshot, but I don't want to include you if you don't want to be included. So if you _do _want to be included, please send me a review/PM that tells me so - plus your gender. I've kind of been assuming that almost all of you are girls/women, since there aren't that many male Wicked fanfic readers, but still... it would be kind of awkward if I'd make mistakes in that. **

**So if you really want to join the Frex Hunters... you know what to do :). I'm planning on posting it April 1st - yes, April Fools Day. Complete coincidence that that is in a few days, but I plan on posting it then because it seems fitting, since that entire oneshot is like one big joke :P.**

**End of this dreadfully long AN. Sorry about that. Next one will be shorter, I promise.**

* * *

The Tiggulars and Paro, Nessa, Galinda and Boq were on their way to where they had been told Fiyero's room was when suddenly a nurse came dashing out of said room, looking absolutely terrified. 'Doctor!' she cried, completely panicked, as she ran through the hallway. 'Doctor, come quickly!'

They looked at each other for a moment in shock before they all stormed into the room, expecting the worst. What they had _not _expected to see, however, was Fiyero trying to sit up, blinking against the light. He gave them a faint, lopsided grin as he saw them. 'Hey.'

Nessa and Boq stared at him with eyes wide as saucers. Galinda started crying again and Fiyero's parents looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Paro cried, 'Dude! What the _hell_!'

Fiyero looked confused. 'What?'

'You're supposed to be dead!' Boq explained in a slightly higher-pitched tone than usual. 'Or, well, _almost _dead, anyway!'

Nessa elbowed him in the stomach. 'Don't jinx him!'

Fiyero cringed his forehead, puzzled. 'What happened? I don't think I remember…' Before he could finish, however, his parents were already all over him, both crying with relief. 'Yero!' Paro said, rather speechless, but obviously relieved as well. 'You scared the shi-'

'_Living daylights_,' Nessa interrupted him primly, with a pointed look at him before looking back at Fiyero, 'out of us.'

The doctor came running into the room, eyes nearly bulging out of his head when he saw Fiyero sitting up, looking as if he had just taken a nap instead of having hovered on the verge of death. 'How is this possible?' the doctor asked the nurse, looking completely baffled, but she looked even more shaken than him. 'I don't know, sir!' she exclaimed. 'I just came into the room to check on him, and suddenly he started moving and he… he woke up!'

The doctor did a quick examination and concluded that the wound was still there, but the vital parts that had been damaged by the bullet, were now healed. 'How in Oz…'

Galinda, who thought she might have an idea what was going on, wiped away her tears and stared at the nurse intently. 'Did he say something? Before he woke up?'

The nurse nodded hesitantly. 'Now that you mention it… He did. I'm not sure what it meant, though – I don't think they were words, or maybe they were names…'

'What was it?' Galinda insisted, and the nurse replied obediently, 'First he said something that sounded like 'Elyssah', and I believe the second word was 'Fae'. Does that make any sense to you?'

Galinda could cry with happiness. Instead, she settled for hugging the nurse, who looked even more shocked after that – the poor woman would probably have to take at least two years off work after today to recover from this shock. 'It does, it does. Sweet Oz, Elphie, you saved him!'

The nurse looked as if she was starting to get a little scared. 'My name isn't Elphie, it's-'

'She saved you, Fiyero!' Galinda went on, not even hearing the nurse, as she turned to face Fiyero with sparkling eyes. 'Elphie and her unborn child! They saved you! They probably magically healed you or something!'

Fiyero's eyes, however, darkened with worry as the memories came rushing back. 'Elphaba…'

Nessa looked away, Boq cleared his throat awkwardly and Galinda looked at him, her eyes filled with sympathy, as Paro said softly, 'I'm sorry, man.'

'I have to find her.' Before any of them knew what he was doing, he was sitting up again and trying to get out of bed. Everyone jumped on him at the same time to stop him.

'Are you insane?!' Galinda shrieked, causing everyone to cover their ears. 'You were _shot_, Fiyero! You almost _died_! You are _not _leaving this bed!'

'The young lady is right,' the doctor chimed in sternly. 'Your life is out of danger now, but you'll have to stay at bed rest for at least another week.'

'I can't!' he declared hotly, struggling to break free despite the pain in his abdomen. 'I have to find her!'

'Fiyero Hamold Tiggular!' his father suddenly bellowed. Everyone froze and stared at the King, who drew himself to his full height and suddenly looked very impressive. 'You are not leaving this bed and that is an _order_!'

His mother was more gentle. 'Yero,' she said, sitting down on the edge of his bed and looking at him. 'In your current condition, you wouldn't even make it down the hallway. And do you think Elphaba would approve of you trying to save her while you can barely walk? I, personally, don't think she would.'

Galinda snorted. 'That's an understatement. She'd kill you.'

'We're going to find her, Yero,' Paro promised. 'Don't worry. Galinda, Boq, Miss Nessarose and I are going to take off to Munchkinland as soon as possible and we're going to find her.'

'You don't even know if she _is _in Munchkinland,' Fiyero protested. 'We have no idea where Frex has taken her!'

'No, we don't,' his cousin agreed. 'But we'll find her nonetheless. I promise, Yero, we'll find her.'

'But we won't go until you promise us to stay put,' said Galinda with a stern look at Fiyero. 'You _have _to promise to stay here until you're healed.'

'But…'

'If you don't promise us that, we're not going.'

He sighed irritably. 'I promise to stay here until I can walk.'

'Until you're _fully healed_,' Galinda corrected him sternly, and looked at him with one eyebrow arched until he gave in. 'Until I'm healed.'

'Good,' the blonde said, satisfied. She looked at Paro. 'Shall we go right away, then?'

'Can I talk to you kids for a moment?' King Hamold asked, his brow slightly furrowed. They nodded and he took them outside the room and a little down the hallway. 'I don't approve of this plan of yours.'

'Uncle Hamold!' Paro protested, but the King shook his head. 'No, Paro, I won't have any of it. You're still only children, no matter how hard you try to deny that, and I won't allow you to go and look for a wanted criminal! Frexspar Thropp is dangerous and I will _not _allow you to go.'

'But your Majesty…'

'Hamold,' Fiyero's father corrected Galinda, but she didn't comply. 'Sir… We can't just sit around and do _nothing_. She's my best friend and she's in danger – I have to help her!'

Hamold sighed deeply. 'I used to think that it was just my son's personality to be brainless and impulsive, but I'm starting to suspect that it has more to do with age than with personality.'

Galinda bristled, forgetting her manners for a moment – a rare thing for her, but she was feeling utterly offended right now. '_Brainless_?'

Paro rested a hand on her shoulder. 'Not now, Lin.'

She flushed, but for a different reason now. 'Don't call me that,' she snapped, jerking away from his touch. 'Elphie is the only one allowed to call me that!'

Paro faltered and backed off, stricken by the obvious hurt in the eyes of the blonde girl. Nessa looked at the King pleadingly. 'Please, sir… She is my sister. I _need _her. Galinda is right – we can't just sit around and do nothing.'

'I will not allow you to go,' Hamold said sternly, but then he softened. 'But I'll send out search patrols. Someone ought to have seen a man on a horse with an unconscious green girl, don't you think? _They _will find her, I'm sure of it. In the meantime, _you _will go back to the Vinkus with us.'

Paro, Boq and Nessa nodded reluctantly, but when Hamold had gone back into his son's hospital room, Galinda declared hot-headedly, 'I am _not _going to sit around and wait.'

Nessa sighed. 'I don't like it either, Galinda, but I'm afraid we have no choice.'

Paro looked at the blonde girl suspiciously, narrowing his eyes. 'Galinda?'

'Fine,' she grumbled, thereby satisfying Boq and Nessa. Paro, however, suspected that she was merely playing along instead of really complying, and he decided to keep a close eye on her.

* * *

Elphaba was once again lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, when that faint feeling washed over her again.

She gingerly touched her stomach. 'What's up, little one?' she whispered. 'Trying to show me something again?' She started to smile faintly, but gasped when images suddenly flooded her brain in what she recognised was a vision. She knew, somehow, that this wasn't her own doing; it was Elyssah finally getting through. She tried to calm her breathing and focused on the scenes evolving in front of her eyes, the images Elyssah had worked so hard to finally make her see.

The first scene made her cringe and whimper softly. She saw Frex, seated on his horse with her in front of him, as it had been a few weeks ago; she saw him pull his gun and shoot Fiyero, she heard the cry from her own lips, then she watched herself being knocked unconscious. The scene shifted in a blur and instead of focusing on her and Frex, as she had somehow expected, it focused on Galinda, Boq, Nessa and Fiyero, the ones she had left behind. She didn't know how Elyssah could show her this, since neither one of them had been there – but then again, her own powers were a mystery to her sometimes as well, so she didn't question it. She tried to keep her breathing even as she watched the next scene.

She saw Boq and she heard his voice in her head. 'I don't think he's breathing.'

Her own breath caught in her throat at that and she fought back tears as she watched Galinda do something she had only seen one time in her entire life – she didn't know exactly how it worked, but she did know it was meant to revive a person. She watched, her mouth dry, her heart pounding in her ears, as Galinda kept going, until the blonde's voice filled her head. 'I hear a heartbeat.'

Elphaba cried with relief at that, but it wasn't over yet. The scene went over images an ambulance carriage arriving and a scene in the hospital quickly, not showing any particular details, until it re-focused on Hamold's grave face as he told the students and his weeping wife, 'They don't think he's going to make it.'

Yet another shift, quickly this time, and a doctor told the group earnestly, 'There's nothing we can do for him anymore.' He also said something about saying goodbye, but Elphaba felt as if she was about to faint and she lost her focus. Frex had been right. She had known it all along, too; it _had _been a massive amount of blood. Fiyero was dead.

Now that she had that certainty, it felt as if her entire world collapsed around her and she couldn't breathe. A gentle nudge on the verge of her mind, however, brought her back and she gasped slightly. 'Elyssah?'

Another soft nudge, as if to let her know that it was Elyssah indeed; then a new scene of the vision presented itself to her. Fiyero lying in a hospital bed, looking as pale as the sheets. Nurses with solemn faces softly speaking to one another as they left the room. Fiyero's chest, rising and falling but only barely noticeable, and then… a soft, warm light surrounded him for a clock-tick before draining away again, and she was almost certain she could see a few red and green sparks underneath the blankets. Green, the colour of her own magic… and red, the colour of Elyssah's? she wondered as she kept watching, fascinated, fixed on the image. The sparks disappeared and a nurse re-entered the room, going through some paperwork nonchalantly, until Fiyero suddenly stirred and muttered, 'Elyssah…'

Elphaba's heart nearly broke again, but this time with joy and relief, as the nurse spun around as if she had been stung. Her eyes went incredibly wide and Elphaba couldn't help but laugh out loud when Fiyero suddenly bolted upright in his bed. 'Fae!' His eyes had snapped open and he was clearly conscious – unlike the nurse, who looked as if she was about to have a heart attack right on the spot. The poor woman stormed out of the room, crying something in panic.

Another scene shift. Galinda, hugging the still dreadfully pale looking nurse and bouncing up and down with excitement. Fiyero was visible in the bed behind her, still looking a bit pale, but very much alive nonetheless and Elphaba's heart soared at the sight. 'She saved you, Fiyero!' Galinda exclaimed. 'Elphie and her unborn child! They saved you!'

Her vision blurred again and she blinked a few times, unsure of what was to come next and what had just happened. Was this all real? Were they really visions? Was this Elyssah trying to show her that Fiyero was all right? Or was she just going crazy and was she having hallucinations now? She didn't think that too unlikely.

Suddenly, her vision cleared again and she saw the girl she had seen before – Elyssah, her daughter. She could see the young girl crystal clear now. In the vision, she must be about five or six years old and she was perfect. She had Elphaba's small, straight nose and heart-shaped face, surrounded by long, velvety black hair; she had long limbs and large eyes, like Elphaba, but Elyssah's eyes were the same deep azure blue colour as her father's eyes. Her full lips were also Fiyero's, as was her smile. If this was a vision, Elphaba decided, Elyssah must be giving her a glimpse into the future. She wasn't sure that was possible – to be completely honest, the possibility of her going mad and hallucinating seemed more likely with every passing clock-tick – but it felt right. It felt amazing. And so she kept on watching.

She watched as the little girl ran through the long green grass, laughing… and then the scene zoomed out a bit and her heart skipped a beat. For there was Fiyero, handsome as ever, his eyes sparkling and his familiar lopsided grin lighting up his face as he chased his daughter. He caught her in the end and started to tickle her. 'No, Daddy, don't!' the little girl protested, but her protests soon turned to giggles as she squirmed under his grip.

Then the girl wriggled herself from her father's grip and ran towards a third person. Elphaba gasped softly as she watched herself pick up the young girl and swirl her around in the air. 'Is Daddy tickling you again?'

Elyssah nodded seriously and vision-Elphaba put her down. 'Shall we go and tickle Daddy back, then?'

'Yes!' the girl yelled in enthusiasm and stormed towards her father, her mother close behind. The three of them tumbled into the grass, frolicking and laughing, until the small girl scrambled to her feet again. 'Auntie Nessie, Uncle Boq! And Auntie Galinda and Uncle Paro! And Mommy, Granny and Granddad are here, too!' she rattled, darting towards her family.

Real Elphaba watched the vision, completely speechless and with tears in her eyes by now, as her daughter ran towards the small group of people. Lori and Hamold stood back a little, looking at their granddaughter with love clearly visible in their eyes; Boq kneeled down to pick Elyssah up and set her down in Nessa's lap to give her Auntie a hug, before putting her down again. Elyssah then ran towards Paro and Galinda, who had their arms wrapped around each other's waist. Galinda let go of Paro to kneel down in order to greet the girl warmly. 'Hi, honey!' he blonde cooed as she picked the little girl up. 'You're getting bigger every time I see you!'

Elphaba saw the scene shift a little, away from her daughter, friends and family, and towards her vision-self and Fiyero again, both still lying down in the grass, smiling. Fiyero slid an arm around her waist and drew her closer to kiss her. 'I love you, Fae.'

Her vision-self smiled at him and lifted her hand to touch his cheek. 'I love you too, Yero my hero.'

The scene faded, Elphaba's vision went blank and then she blacked out.

* * *

'Galinda is gone,' Hamold repeated flatly after his nephew.

Paro looked exasperated and slightly desperate. 'Yes. None of us wanted to go home with Fiyero still here, and we all fell asleep in the waiting room – when we woke up, Galinda was gone. Boq and Nessa didn't hear or see her leave and neither did I, although it doesn't really surprise me…'

Hamold sighed, running his hand through his gray-streaked blonde hair. 'I _know_. I suspected that she would try this, too, but…' He sighed again. 'I'll tell my men to look out for _her _as well, but I don't think it's any use going after her. She's probably gone off looking for Elphaba, but we have no idea where she went. Both of them could be anywhere.'

'I'm going after her anyway,' Paro announced. His uncle looked at him, clearly disapproving. 'Son…'

'I'm twenty-two, Uncle,' Paro reminded the King. 'I can make my own decisions. You can't stop me. I'm going after Galinda.'

Hamold sighed again and suddenly looked very old. 'Fine. Go ahead. Good luck, son – I hope you find her. Or even better, both of them.'

Fiyero didn't notice Galinda's and Paro's absence, since the last thing he heard was that all four of his friends had taken off to Munchkinland to find his fiancée. Nessa and Boq both decided to stick with that story and thus never showed up; Hamold took them back with him to the Vinkus, where he, as the King, had important matters to attend to. Lori stayed with their son, sleeping in his room and trying to comfort him the best she could – something she couldn't succeed in. He had been angry at first, and frustrated because there was nothing he could do in his current state; after a few days, he had broke down and started crying, a phase that lasted for almost a week before he sunk down into what seemed like a depression, not speaking to anyone and not showing any emotion whatsoever, his face always blank. Lori was worried sick about him, but somewhere in her heart, she was also proud of her son. Proud that he had managed to find the love of his life, his one true love – his reaction to her disappearing made it awfully clear that that was what Elphaba was to him – despite everything. Now, however, they had to make sure Elphaba would get the chance to fulfil that role. They had to find her, Lori knew. If they didn't… Well, she had heard about her son's suicide attempt earlier and she had no doubt that he would try again – and probably succeed – if they wouldn't manage to save Elphaba this time.

Weeks passed and everyone was on edge. Lori lived isolated from the world in those weeks, just staying by her son's side as he slowly recovered – physically, at least – and she took care of him. She exchanged letters every now and then with Hamold, who reported to her the findings of the search patrols he had sent out: no sign whatsoever of neither Galinda nor Elphaba. No word came from Paro, either. Hamold told his wife about Nessa and Boq, both anxious beyond belief and jumping up every time someone knocked at the door, desperately hoping for news, any news at all… news that never came. It was a stressful time for all of them and Lori was utterly relieved when the doctors told them that Fiyero would be released from the hospital at the end of the week. He would still have to rest a lot and their family doctor back in the Vinkus would have to check up on him every now and then, but at least Lori and her son got to go home and be with their friends and family. That was all she could ask for at the moment.

She was relieved, too, to find that Fiyero reacted to the news; he seemed to brighten up a little and he started talking again, though not excessively so. One day, he asked softly, 'Mom?'

'Yes, Yero?' She was by his side immediately and he clutched her hand and squeezed it. 'Thank you.'

She was surprised. 'For what?'

'Everything,' came his simple reply before his eyes drifted shut again. 'Love you,' he mumbled before he fell asleep, and Lori felt tears stinging her eyes as she tried to fight them back. 'I love you too, sweetheart,' she whispered softly, kissing his forehead. Then she left the room to get herself something to eat.

When she returned, Fiyero's bed was empty.

She looked at the open window wearily and sighed deeply, sinking down into a chair. Although worried, she wasn't surprised. Not at all.

'I hope you find her, Yero,' she whispered into the empty room. 'I really do.'

* * *

**Please review! :)**


	23. Retrieving Hope

**AN: Thanks again for your lovely reviews!**

**So right now I'll be including Failey (duh! ;-)), BlueD (equally duh), ComingAndGoingByBubble, Ozzie, elphiesglinda, Fae the Queen, Wicked4Life and Silvine Fae Graycin in the oneshot. Bookworm0001, since you said you wanted to join the Frex Hunter earlier, can I include you as well?**

**As for the rest of you: it's not too late yet to PM/review and have you include me in the oneshot! ^^ (Don't expect too much of it, though. It's really just plain April Fools nonsense :P.)**

* * *

After only a few days of searching for Elphaba, Fiyero already found himself hurt.

He had been wandering around, heading in the direction of Munchkinland, visiting as many towns as possible and asking everyone if they had seen a green girl, but without luck so far. Right now, he found himself on the outskirts of a small town. It was getting dark and he had tripped over a tree branch in the forest an hour before; he had crashed to the ground and blood had started trickling out of his only recently healed gunshot wound. A quick examination had told him it was indeed opening up again, which was not good; he probably needed to rest, but first he needed to find a place to stay.

Just when he felt he couldn't get any further, he stumbled upon a small cottage, apparently belonging to the town nearby, but still quite a distance away from it. He knocked on the door and a friendly looking woman opened it almost immediately, smiling friendly at him. 'Can I help you?'

'I… I need help,' he managed to choke out, removing his hand so that the woman could see the blood. Her smile faded immediately and she called over her shoulder for someone – her husband, apparently, for a man her age quickly appeared and supported Fiyero as the couple helped him inside, to a small bedroom. 'This is our guest room,' the woman explained as the man went to fetch a medical kit. 'You can stay here for a few days to heal. What happened?'

'Long story,' Fiyero said with a sour face. 'Let's just say I got shot a few weeks ago and it hasn't fully healed yet.'

'What brings you to Murtown?' the man asked as he returned with some medical supplies. He handed the things to his wife, who carefully pulled Fiyero's shirt away and started cleaning the wound. 'We're only a small village – we barely get any visitors here.'

Fiyero sighed as he was reminded of his mission. 'I'm looking for someone.'

The man looked at him pointedly. 'That sounds… vague.'

Fiyero sighed again. 'Like I said, it's a long story.'

'A story that can wait,' the woman chimed in with a stern look at her husband. 'Let the poor boy rest first. Why don't you go and get him something to eat? I'm Lavel, by the way,' she introduced herself, then nodded at the man, 'and that is my husband, Turin.'

Fiyero smiled at them. 'Nice to meet you. I'm-' he cringed as Lavel bandaged up his chest and she chided him gently. 'This can all wait, young man. You go to sleep now, we'll make sure we have something to eat for you when you wake up, and then you can tell us everything when you feel better.' She patted his head as if he were a small boy, then got up from the bed. 'Call me if you need anything,' she told him before leaving the room, closing the door behind her.

Fiyero was so exhausted he fell asleep right away.

* * *

Elphaba blinked until her vision cleared and she could see the ceiling again.

Nothing had changed; she was still locked in this room, tied up, not knowing where she was or what had happened to her friends, in the dark, not knowing how to get out of here… yet at the same time, there was so _much _that had changed.

She pressed one hand against her stomach. 'Was it real?' she whispered. 'Was that what you wanted to show me, Lys? That your Daddy is alive? That everything is going to be fine?'

She felt that same gentle prodding on the verge of her mind and she smiled involuntarily, now knowing that this was indeed her unborn daughter's way to make contact with her. 'Thank you, Elyssah,' she whispered fiery. 'Thank you for showing me.'

She couldn't believe it. The entire vision had been wonderful, but the fact that Fiyero was still alive, that _she _and her unborn child had saved him, made everything else blanche in comparison. It was as if all of her strength returned at once, along with her will to fight. _Fiyero is alive. _And she was going to get back to him, one way or another.

She sat up and looked at the rope tying her wrist to the bedpost. _First things first._ In her mind, she started to go over all kinds of spells that had anything to do with ropes and untying them, or reversing previously cast spells. She muttered them under her breath, spell after spell, until finally, she felt the rope loosen around her wrist and her heartbeat sped up. Had she succeeded? She started picking at the rope, carefully untying the knot, and she felt like dancing when it slid off her waist and she was free. Sort of, anyway. The rope was first; next was the enchanted room.

She stopped for a moment when she felt dizzy and she cursed herself for becoming weak. True, it was Frex's fault that she was underfed, way too thin and a bit dehydrated, but she hadn't done anything for her own strength, either; she hadn't even _tried _to take care of herself in the past month. Now she had to pay for that.

She was sixteen weeks pregnant by now and although she still thought she was rather small for a woman this far in pregnancy, her baby bump did start to stand out a little. She was still nauseous and dizzy every now and then, and she was starting to feel heartburn every now and then, which was annoying, especially now. She would need to keep a clear head if she ever wanted to escape Frex.

She laid down on the bed again, on her back, as she tried to catch her breath. She could feel that she wasn't used to using magic anymore – or doing anything slightly strenuous, really; she felt as if she had been running for a few miles. She closed her eyes for a moment and focused on her breathing, hand draped across her stomach as always, as she suddenly felt something that caused her eyes to fly open again immediately. She held her breath, wanting to feel that strange sensation again, and she nearly cried when she did. A faint flutter, as from a butterfly, in her stomach.

She could feel Elyssah move.

She gently prodded her stomach and marveled in the wondrous sensation when Elyssah moved again in response. She stayed like that for hours, laughing and crying at the same time as she became increasingly aware of her daughter's movements inside her, until she realised what she was doing. She shook her head and sat up. 'That's it, baby. I'm getting you out of here.'

* * *

'Galinda!' someone exclaimed in utter relief.

The blonde looked up from her coffee with a sad look on her face – a look that didn't even subside when she saw Paro standing in the café. He made his way over to the table she was sitting at and she stared back at her coffee. 'I didn't find her, Paro,' she whispered. 'I couldn't find her.'

'You did everything you could,' Paro tried to comfort her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, but she shook her head. 'If it were me that had been kidnapped, Elphie would have found me. I'm sure of it. I'm letting her down, Paro, I'm failing my best friend…' She started crying then and Paro drew her close and rubbed her back in an attempt to comfort her. 'You tried, Galinda. That's all Elphaba could ever ask for and I'm sure she'd appreciate it greatly if she knew – _after _she would kill you for running off in the middle of the night, that is,' he added sternly, and Galinda couldn't help but smile despite her tears. 'Well, she isn't the only one that's stubborn.'

Paro thought of what he had heard people say about Fiyero and grimaced. 'True.'

She looked up at him pointedly. 'What do you mean?'

'I don't know if it's true,' he admitted, 'but people are saying Fiyero disappeared from the hospital a few days ago.'

Galinda let out a mirthless laugh that sent shivers down Paro's spine, it was so unlike her. 'Of course he has. That is so _Fiyero_ – stupid, stubborn… _ass_!' Paro tried not to laugh at that, neither did he point out to Galinda that Fiyero wasn't the only one who had taken off to find Elphaba in an impulse, without telling anyone. Galinda exhaled audibly. 'Oz, I hope he doesn't hurt himself,' she muttered under her breath.

Paro pulled a face. 'Yeah, right. Fiyero and not hurting himself? Doesn't go together. Somehow, he _always _finds a way to hurt himself.'

Galinda looked as if she were about to cry again. 'That's not reassuring.'

'Oh, but he'll be fine in the end,' Paro hurried to say, hugging the petit girl again and inwardly cursing his big mouth. 'And so will Elphaba, you'll see! He probably finds her and takes out Frex, and then they escape together…'

Galinda pulled back to give him an incredulous look. 'I'm not a little girl, Paro, even though I might look like one. Don't tell me fairytales. The chances of him actually finding and rescuing her are extremely small, while the chances of him hurting himself and Frex hurting Elphaba are awfully big. You don't have to lie to me about that.'

He sighed. 'I'm sorry. I just wanted to make you feel better.'

'I can handle the truth.' She stirred her coffee, but did not drink it. 'So what do we do now? Are you going to drag me to the Vinkus?'

He shook his head. 'I'm going to help you search.'

The look of utter surprise in her blue eyes told him that she had most definitely not expected that. 'Really?'

He nodded. 'I can't say I know Elphaba well, but I did like her, and Fiyero obviously cares a great deal about her. I don't want to just leave her with that _repulsive _man that calls himself her father.'

Galinda suddenly threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. 'Oh, thank you, Paro! Thank you so much!'

He thanked Oz for the fact that she had buried her face in his neck so that she could not see him blush.

* * *

When Fiyero woke up the next day, he felt much better - strong enough to get out of bed and gingerly leave the room. Both Lavel and Turin looked up as he entered and smiled at him. 'Feeling better?' Lavel asked and Fiyero nodded, smiling as well. 'Much, thank you.'

'I'll take a look at that wound of yours later,' Lavel promised, 'but first you need to eat something. Care to join us for breakfast?'

Fiyero accepted the offer gratefully and started wolfing down the bread and fruit the couple presented him with, much to their obvious amusement. When he had finished, Turin looked at him. 'So, please tell us what brought you here. You said you were looking for someone?'

The prince nodded gravely. 'My fiancée, Elphaba.'

Both Lavel's and Turin's eyes widened at that and they shared a look. 'Could it be…' Lavel wondered aloud, and Turin shook his head in disbelief. 'That would be too coincidental.'

Lavel looked back at Fiyero, who was slightly confused by then. 'This fiancée of yours… does she happen to be pregnant?'

His confusion only increased. 'Yes, but…'

'And green?' Turin asked bluntly, earning him a whack in the arm from his wife. 'Turin, that's hardly polite!'

'I didn't mean anything by that!' Turin protested immediately. 'I was just stating a fact – it's not as if you could _deny _that she is green!'

Fiyero, by now, was nearly jumping up and down. 'You've seen her?'

'Not recently,' Lavel said and his face fell immediately as he sat back down. 'Oh.'

'But we met a few months ago,' the woman continued. 'Poor thing – she was running from her father, who tried to take away her unborn baby… I still can't understand how a man could do such a horrendible thing to his own daughter! Anyway, she had escaped and – oh, Oz, who am I fooling here, you probably know all of that, don't you?' She eyed him up and down and nodded, as if confirming something for herself. 'I'm assuming you're Fiyero.'

The Vinkun Prince nodded, slightly baffled, and Lavel smiled at him reassuringly and patted his arm comfortingly. 'Why don't you tell us what happened ever since Elphaba left here?'

He did, and when he was finished, Turin got up brusquely. 'That's it. That man is insane!'

Fiyero rested his head on his arms and moaned softly, feeling desperate. 'Tell me about it. Oz, I hope he hasn't…' He couldn't even finish that sentence and Lavel eyed him sympathetically. Turin looked rather murderous by now. 'Young man, I take it you intend to resume your search as soon as possible?'

Fiyero nodded and Turin did the same, only much more firmly. 'I'm coming with you.'

'Turin!' Lavel protested, but her husband shook his head. 'This boy is just a kid, Lavel, and he's hurt. He can't go out there by himself. Plus, Elphaba is a sweet girl and that father of her is _nuts_. He has a better chance if I come with him.'

Fiyero felt a wave of gratitude for these people and in an impulse, he hugged them both. 'Thank you so much!'

Turin smiled and patted his shoulder. 'You're welcome, son. If you're feeling strong enough, I'd like to leave tomorrow morning, so that you have another day here to rest and heal a bit more. Does that sound all right with you?'

Fiyero nodded. 'That's fine. Thank you. Really, thank you so much. I owe you.'

'Of course you don't,' Lavel dismissed that with a knowing smile. 'We understand and we want to help you, that's all.'

Turin looked thoughtful, then suddenly got up. 'I'm going to talk to Yorgo.'

Lavel sighed irritably. 'Turin, that man is a drunk and a pervert. He's not-'

'He knows everything,' Turin interrupted his wife with a significant look. She seemed to get it, because she closed her mouth and frowned slightly instead, thinking. 'Yorgo travels everywhere,' Turin continued, 'and if anyone has heard gossip… a lunatic and an unconscious green girl on a horse travelling through a nearby village, for example… he'd know.'

Fiyero's heart leapt up with hope. 'You think so?'

Turin shrugged. 'It's certainly worth a try.'

* * *

When Frex opened the door that night to bring his daughter something to eat, his gun pointing towards her as always, he suddenly nearly dropped said gun.

He had been satisfied, seeing her broken; the less she struggled, the easier this would be. The only thing he made sure of was that she ate and drank, for the baby's sake – he didn't want a sick baby. She had been lying on the bed every time he entered the room; she would look at him with dead eyes, following his movements as he put some bread and water on the floor, otherwise not reacting to his presence in any way. He had rather preferred it that way.

Now, however, when he entered the room, she was up and there was a fire in her eyes that he hadn't seen since he had told her that her stupid little boyfriend was dead. It frightened him, especially when he noticed that she had somehow managed to break free of the enchanted rope he had tied her to the bedpost with. 'What…' He interrupted himself when he saw the green sparks flying around her fingers and he quickly pointed his gun at her. 'Don't you dare!'

Before he knew it, however, his gun flew out of his hand and clattered onto the floor. Frex started to become just a little bit scared now. 'How did you…'

'Forget what you used to call me?' she sneered, eyes blazing as she narrowed them at him. 'I'm a _witch_.'

Frex dashed out of the room and locked the door behind him, leaning against it, panting. He desperately hoped that she wouldn't be able to get out of the magic spelled room – not yet, anyway. He could hear her throw waves of that sinful magic of hers against the walls, but they didn't budge, much to Frex's utter relief. He knew he had to act quickly, though, or he would lose her – and judging by the look in her eyes, he would probably lose his life as well.

* * *

'I talked to Yorgo,' Turin said as soon as he set foot in the house again. Fiyero looked at him expectantly and Turin smiled a bit tiredly. 'I know where Frex has taken her.'

* * *

Elphaba rested her forehead against the wall, tears streaming down her face. She felt weak and disappointed and frustrated to no end. She had intended to knock Frex over, kill him if that was necessary, and get out of here, away from him, away from this prison cell; yet she had been unable to. That one small outburst of magic that she had knocked his gun to the floor with had drained away most of her strength and Frex had gotten away. She tried to break down the walls again, but to no avail, and eventually she just sank to the floor. 'Oz _dammit_!' she said in disgust, frustrated to the core. She had to get out of here. She had to get out of here _now_.

But now, she would have to wait until Frex came back; and quite frankly, she doubted he would. She had scared him and he knew she wasn't tied up anymore. It wouldn't surprise her if he decided he didn't want her baby after all and he would just leave her to rot here.

Her gaze fell on the gun, that was still lying on the floor in the bedroom, and she smirked mirthlessly. At least if he _did _come back, she would be prepared.

She gasped as a sharp pain rippled through her abdomen and she looked down, eyes wide in shock. 'What in Oz…'

She doubled over when another wave of pain hit her and she shook her head frantically in an attempt to clear it. Was she having contractions? She couldn't be in labour already, could she? Elyssah would never survive!

The pain didn't stop, however, and she knew something wasn't right. These weren't Braxton-Hicks contractions – she'd been having those before and they weren't half as painful or frightening. This… this was different. This was wrong.

She gasped again and fell to the floor, whimpering softly. 'Please, Elyssah… Please don't…'

She felt something wet trickle down her legs and she knew it had to be blood. This was _not _good.

Then she lost consciousness once again.


	24. Light And Darkness

**AN: Why do I keep making you suffer? Because it's so much fun! *witch cackle***

**Speaking of witch cackles... anyone ever heard Willemijn Verkaik's most _epic _Elphaba cackle? Go to YouTube and search for 'Willemijns hilarious witch cackle' or something like that. It's amazing. And epic. And hilarious.**

**Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews! I hope this chapter makes you happy :).**

* * *

When Fiyero suddenly banged open the door and stormed inside, Frex actually gave a yelp of surprise and fright. He hadn't expected to see the prince and he wasn't happy to, either – not in the slightest, especially given the fact that the young man looked as if he was about to rip off Frex's head with his bare hands. '_Where is she_?!'

Another man entered behind the prince and Fiyero turned around to face him. 'Keep an eye on him?'

Turin nodded grimly and eyed Frex suspiciously as Fiyero knocked down the only door in the room and ran inside. 'Fae?' When he saw her, however, the blood immediately drained from his face and he dropped to his knees on the floor, pressing his fingers against her neck in search for a heartbeat. He found one, but it was faint – and there was so much blood… Chills ran down his spine as he heard a struggle in the other room and Frex came storming in, stopping dead in his tracks as he caught sight of his daughter lying unconscious in a pool of blood. 'What…'

Fiyero leapt to his feet. '_You _did this!' he cried, beside himself with rage. 'I'm going to _kill _you for what you've done to her!'

'Fiyero, don't,' Turin said urgently as he came running into the room as well and took one look at Elphaba. 'Not right now. You need to get her to a hospital first.'

Fiyero realised he was right and kneeled down next to his fiancée again, but Frex interrupted him.

'No!' the former Governor screamed madly. 'I won't let you!' He lurched forwards, intending to get to the gun. Fiyero, however, anticipated this action and managed to grab the gun from the floor before Frex could get hold of it. He pointed it at the former Governor. 'Now back off.'

He could clearly see that Frex had practically lost his mind in the past few months. Fiyero wasn't sure why it had happened, exactly, but it worried him; madmen were hardly predictable, and the insane look in Frex's eyes didn't promise too much good. Just as he thought that, Frex grabbed Turin and pressed a knife against his throat. 'I'll kill him!'

'Let him go!' Fiyero commanded, his voice quivering slightly. The white of Frex's eyes was visible as he threw his head back and cackled maniacally. He sneered at Fiyero. 'If I can't have her, no one can!' he hissed and in one swift movement, he let go of Turin and threw himself at Elphaba, knife raised up in the air, ready to plunge it into her chest.

Fiyero, however, was faster.

He shot.

And Frex fell onto the floor and didn't move again.

Turin was quick to kneel down next to the man and examine him. After a few clock-ticks, he looked up and shook his head. 'He's dead.'

Fiyero wasn't sure how he felt about that, but it didn't matter right now; first he had to save Elphaba. He carefully lifted her up in his arms, amazed at how little she weighed, and he felt a pang when he noticed the small baby bump that hadn't been there yet when he had last seen her. He was afraid that he already knew what the large amount of blood surrounding her meant, but he refused to think about it. He couldn't change what had already happened, but he _could _change what would happen next, and he would _not _let Elphaba die.

'Go!' Turin urged him. He gestured towards Frex's body. 'I'll take care of him and I'll go talk to the authorities right away. I'll come to the hospital as soon as I can.'

Fiyero nodded quickly. 'Thank you, Turin,' he said sincerely. He glanced once more at Elphaba's pale face; then he started running towards the nearest town.

* * *

'Elphaba?'

She blinked, then squinted as she found a bright light flashing into her eyes. The light disappeared and she looked into the not unfriendly face of what had to be, judging by his clothes and the environment she found herself in, a doctor. He smiled at her. 'Welcome back. How are you feeling?'

She blinked again. 'Dizzy.' Then the previous events came rushing back to her and she shot up, her heart pounding in her chest, her hand flying towards her stomach. 'Elyssah!'

The doctor eyed her sympathetically. 'I have done a few tests, but the results haven't come back yet. We'll have to wait a bit longer. I do think, though… Elphaba, I'm sorry I have to say this, but with that large an amount of blood, the chances of the baby surviving are… well… not good.'

She bit her lip until she could taste blood, determined not to cry. Instead, she nodded blankly. 'I see.'

'It's not just the baby I'm worried about, however,' the doctor continued, gazing at her from behind his glasses with a grave expression on his face. 'Your blood pressure is much too low, and especially for a girl in her second trimester, you don't weigh nearly enough. I'm going to keep you here for a few days to a few weeks, depending on the test results.'

She veered up a little, hope in her eyes. 'But there's still a chance that the baby survived, right?'

The doctor sighed. 'There is a chance,' he agreed reluctantly, 'but a very, very small one. In your current condition… well, I'm not going to lie to you: it doesn't look good, Elphaba, I'm sorry.'

She nodded faintly, trying to process his words without really… well, _processing _them. She didn't want to think about the implications of what he was telling her right now.

'Now go to sleep,' the doctor told her with a friendly look. 'You need to rest as much as possible. You're not allowed to have any visitors, and the young prince has told me what had happened with your father… I'm sorry about that. But is there anyone else we can call? Another family member, perhaps?'

Elphaba, however, didn't even hear his last words – she had zoned out after 'young prince'. She stared at the doctor with wide eyes. 'Fiyero is _here_?' She hadn't even wondered until then how she had ended up in the hospital in the first place, she had been so focused on and concerned about Elyssah, but now her brain was slowly starting to work again. Had Fiyero taken her here? But how had he found her in the first place?

The doctor looked thoughtful, then nodded. 'Yes, I think he did say his name was Fiyero-'

Her heartbeat sped up. 'Let me see him!'

He shook his head. 'I'm sorry, Elphaba, but like I said – you're not allowed to have any visitors yet…'

Before he had finished talking, she had jumped out of the bed, ignoring a wave of dizziness, and was going for the door. The doctor cried out in surprise and the nurses that had been around her bed tried to catch her, shouting for her to stop, but she slipped past them easily and stormed out of the room.

* * *

When Turin walked into the waiting room of the hospital, he found Fiyero pacing frantically. The prince stopped, however, when he caught sight of the older man. 'How'd it go?'

Turin shrugged. 'They took the body and the mayor is going to take care of it – he'll stop by here later today to take your statement and he wrote to the mayor of that town in Munchkinland, you know, the one that imprisoned Frex earlier, but he assured me it'll all be fine. Given Frex's history with Elphaba, he believes it was self-defence. How is she?'

Fiyero ran his hand through his hair in a distressed gesture. 'I don't know. They're still working on her.'

Just then, there was some kind of commotion down the hall and they both turned around to see what was going on. Fiyero's eyes went wide and Turin's jaw actually dropped when they saw Elphaba running down the hallway, dressed in a hospital gown, raven hair flying, with a cluster of frantic-looking nurses chasing after her, yelling for her to stop. She didn't, of course; instead, she ran straight towards Fiyero, gaze fixed on him, although her expression remained unreadable. He didn't hesitate for a clock-tick to open his arms and catch her as she clung to him as if she was never going to let go again. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed herself against him as close as she could possibly get, breathing in his scent and nearly crying with an overwhelming sense of relief as she could finally confirm for herself what she had deep down, thanks to Elyssah, already known: that he was alive.

The hysterical nurses tried to get to her, but Turin stepped in between them and the couple, glaring at the group warningly until they gave in and stopped their attempts to catch their fugitive patient. Turin looked back over his shoulder and winked at Fiyero, who mouthed over Elphaba's head, 'Thank you'.

Elphaba pressed her cheek against Fiyero's chest, her eyes still closed, as she listened to the steady sound of his heartbeat. 'You're alive,' she whispered, still not quite believing it. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, confused. 'How did you get here? How did you even know where to find me? What happened to Frex? Did you-'

He interrupted her by pressing his finger against her lips. 'We can do all of that later, all right? Right now, I think I'm going to have to get you back to that hospital room of yours – those nurses look as if they're about to need hospitalisation themselves.'

Turin let out a rumbling chuckle at that and moved a bit to squeeze Elphaba's shoulder, smiling at her. 'It's good to see you alive, Elphaba.' He looked at Fiyero. 'Can I help you with anything? Get you something, contact anyone?'

'Could you please send word to my parents for me?' Fiyero asked, grimacing slightly at the thought of how he had left them – his mother must be worried sick. 'Tell them I'm all right, I found Elphaba, and if they could get over here as soon as possible.'

Turin nodded and left, and Fiyero lifted Elphaba up in his arms again and carried her back to the hospital room. The doctor, who was still there, looked relieved, but gave the green girl a stern look. 'Don't do such a thing ever again, young lady.' He looked at Fiyero. 'Thank you for bringing her back, but you're going to have to leave again. She's not allowed to have any visitors yet.'

Elphaba tightened her grip on Fiyero's hand to the point where it was actually hurting him, but he didn't say anything. The green girl met the doctor's gaze steadily, determined as ever. 'He's staying.'

The doctor looked about to protest. 'But…'

'I'm staying,' Fiyero repeated, arching one eyebrow at the man. The doctor looked cross. 'I'm sorry, young man, but it's hospital policy that-'

'I'm the Prince of the Vinkus,' Fiyero reminded the man neutrally. 'Do you really want me to

The doctor gave in. 'Fine. Just don't excite her, please.' His face turned red when he realised what he had just said. 'I didn't mean… Well, I guess that _would_ count as 'exciting her', but I merely meant…'

'I know what you meant,' Fiyero assured the man, only grinning slightly. 'I won't.'

The doctor nodded. 'Good.' Then he left the room.

Fiyero looked at Elphaba, noticing with a pang how small and fragile she looked in that large, sterile white hospital bed. 'How are you?'

'Fine,' she replied immediately, conveniently skipping over the part about the doctor being worried about her – she would be okay. There were more important things to talk about now… and that thought brought reality crushing down on her again. She swallowed difficultly with the effort not to cry. 'Yero… they… they don't think Elyssah made it.'

He nodded sadly, squeezing her hand. 'I know.' He had figured as much himself.

Suddenly, the tears were dripping down her face despite her fighting them and she stared at the blankets, unable to look Fiyero in the eyes as she whispered, 'It's my fault.'

'What?'

'If she's gone… it'd be my fault,' Elphaba said, wiping at her tears, but they wouldn't stop flowing. 'I know why this happened… she used her magic, Yero. To show me… that you were still alive. It must have been too much for her – she's not even _born _yet, she probably wasn't strong enough… but she did it anyway. Because of me. If I hadn't given up, if I had just stayed strong, for her, she wouldn't have had to…'

'Hey.' Fiyero wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head as she sobbed quietly into his shoulder. 'It's not your fault, Fae, not at all!'

'But it _is_!' she insisted. She looked up at him, her face tear-stained, and the defeated look in her eyes broke his heart. 'Don't you see, Fiyero? I'm already failing as a mother and my baby is not even _born _yet – and thanks to me, probably never will be!'

'Stop it!' He rested his fingers under her chin and forced her to look at him. 'Elphaba. You were kidnapped and locked up by your own father, you thought your fiancé was dead and that… _maniac_ of a father of yours was going to take away your baby. No one can blame you for breaking down, Fae, no one. You're the strongest person I know and anyone else would have probably given up _weeks _before you did.'

'But Yero…' she whispered, barely audible, a pleading look in her eyes. 'I killed our _baby_.'

'No, you didn't,' he said firmly, pulling her to him again. 'Please, Fae, don't do this to yourself. Or to me. Oz knows you always find a way to blame yourself for whatever bad thing happens, but this time, there _was _no one to blame. It'll all be all right, I promise. Whatever happens, I'll be right here with you and we'll make it through. Together. Okay? I'm not going to let anything happen to you ever again.'

'But Frex…'

'Is dead.'

_That _caught her off guard and she pulled back a little to stare at him, taken aback. 'What?'

Now it was _his _turn to look guilty. 'I… I'm sorry, Fae, but I had to. He was about to kill you, I don't know, he was going crazy… I had no other choice. And I don't regret it, either. But no matter what happened, he _was_ still your father, of course, and I killed him, and I'm sorry…' His voice trailed away when he caught her looking at him with a faintly amused expression on her face – only then did he realise he had been rambling.

'Thank you,' was all she said.

He blinked at her. 'Wait. You're not mad?'

She looked at him as if though _he _was the crazy one now. 'Why in _Oz_ would I be mad? Because you saved my life? He was crazy, Yero and he was dangerous. Everyone is better off with him dead, even he himself. I just hope Nessie isn't mad…' She sighed and ran her fingers through her long black hair, which was impossibly tangled after weeks of not being able to brush or wash it, but she didn't even notice. She looked exhausted, and Fiyero gently nudged her to lie down. 'Get some rest, Fae. I promise I'll wake you if anything happens.' He kissed her forehead and made to get up, but she grabbed his hand tightly. 'Don't go.'

'I'll only be in that chair over there, Fae. I promise I won't leave the room for a clock-tick.'

She shook her head frantically, however, and tugged at his hand. 'Stay _here_. Please?' The look on her face was almost desperate. 'Yero…' she whispered, and her voice broke. 'I need you right now.'

He climbed back onto the bed and cradled her in his arms, resting her head against his chest. 'Then I'll be right here.'

'Thank you,' she said softly, her voice barely a whisper as her eyes fluttered shut and she fell asleep.

* * *

'Fae?'

She groaned softly as someone shook her awake and she opened her eyes, needing a moment to realise where she was and what had happened. 'Yero?'

'You were having a nightmare again,' he told her gently. He brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead. 'You okay?'

She thought of Elyssah and how much reality actually resembled the nightmare she had just had. 'No.'

He just held her. 'I love you, Fae.'

'I love you too,' she whispered. She tightened her grip on him. 'I can't believe you're really here… that you're alive. Did we…'

'You and Elyssah,' he nodded, smiling faintly. 'You saved me.'

'What happened?' she asked softly. 'After you got… you know…'

'Shot?' he offered bluntly, causing her to flinch slightly. He looked a bit sheepish. 'Sorry.'

She shook her head. 'Never mind. So… what did happen? How did you find me? What happened exactly with Frex? And how in _Oz _did you end up with Turin?'

He looked doubtful now. 'Are you sure you want to talk about this now? I mean, we have other things on our minds-'

'Distract me.' Her voice sounded weary. 'I'm tired of crying and I'm tired of thinking. I want you to distract me, and since I want to know all those things anyway, you might as well tell me now.'

'Fair enough.' He shifted a little and laced his fingers with hers as he recalled the events that had occurred ever since Frex had re-taken Elphaba. He told her everything he knew – about Galinda reviving him, Elphaba and Elyssah saving his life magically, how he had practically fled the hospital in search for her and how he had stumbled across Turin and Lavel's house. 'Everyone wanted to help you, Fae,' he said quietly. 'We were all so worried about you. Galinda, Boq, Nessa and Paro even went to Munchkinland to look for you… or, well, they wanted to.' He grimaced. 'I made them promise that they would find you for me, but a few weeks later, my Mom told me that my father hadn't allowed them to go. Apparently, Galinda snuck out of the hospital by herself to look for you, with Paro following her. Boq and Nessa went back to the Vinkus with my Dad.'

'Hold on for a clock-tick,' she interjected, holding up one hand. 'You're saying that Galinda and Paro are somewhere out there looking for me?'

He looked sheepish. 'Oops. I shouldn't have said that. Now you're going to worry even more, and you already had enough to worry about, and… oh, Oz, I'm an idiot,' he moaned, burying his face in his hands, and Elphaba smiled and kissed his fingers. 'I won't worry, Yero. If Paro is with her, I trust she'll be fine.' Fiyero refrained from telling her that he didn't know for sure that Paro and Galinda were together – he had no idea if his cousin had found the blonde girl at all, but he wasn't going to tell her that. He wasn't _that _big an idiot.

He then told her how Turin had learned that Yorgo, the drunk Murtowner, had seen a man and a green girl a few weeks prior; he suspected them to be staying in a small cottage not too far from Murtown itself, which was where Turin and Fiyero had then gone to look. 'It was a wild guess,' he confessed, 'listening to a drunk guy, but it turned out to be a right one, anyway, because that's where I found you. And just in time, too… the doctors said you probably would have bled to death if you weren't brought to a hospital.' His throat clogged at the mere thought of that and she squeezed his hand. 'Tell me about Frex.'

He did. He told her how he and Turin had stormed into the cottage, how he had wanted to take Elphaba to the hospital but Frex had gone completely mad, and how Frex had tried to kill his daughter. 'And then I… I shot him,' Fiyero conceded softly, still looking a bit guilty about that. 'It was a reflex. I didn't think…'

'That's nothing new,' she said, smirking at him, and he chuckled. 'I suppose not.'

She rested her head against his shoulder. 'Thank you, Yero my hero. You saved me. Again. I never considered myself someone that would need to be saved this often, but somehow, you're always there to do it, even if I don't know I need saving myself.'

He kissed the top of her head. 'I'll always save you, Fae. Anytime.'

At that moment, there were footsteps in the hallway and Elphaba sat up immediately, her entire body tense. The doctor came into the room with a grave expression on his face and Elphaba clenched her fists, praying for what must be the first time in her life. _Please, let Elyssah be all right._

Fiyero looked at the man anxiously, wishing he would speak up already. As if he had heard the princes thought, the doctor cleared his throat and held up a stack of papers. 'I have the test results here.'

* * *

**I'M THE QUEEN OF CLIFFIES! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!**


	25. Solving Issues

**AN: This is going to be a long AN again.**

**First of all, a shoutout to musicalvampirelove for being my 200th reviewer! *does silly little Galinda dance* I've never had 200 reviews on a story before, and thank you all so much for helping me reach this milestone! (Yes, I'm exaggerating, but I'm just happy about it :P.) **

**Also to musicalvampirelove, the issue about Elyssah's powers you brought up was actually something I had planned on explaining (sort of, anyway) in this chapter, since it is indeed a bit confusifying and I thought it could use some explanation... and just now, you're telling me that it does. Do all reviewers read author's minds? (About Willemijn: if you ever feel like fangirling about her, just PM me. I could go on and on about her awesomeness for days :D.)**

**Failey... that song made me quite literally double over and snort and cry and choke with laughter. I was reading it while I was in my bed, and I was muffling my extemely stupid giggles and the even stupider very donkey-like sounds of laughter that came out of my mouth in my blankets. That was awesome and extremely funny :). (Especially 'we killed Frex with pitchforks, and now he kinda looks like pork'... xD) If you ever feel like doing more Frex Hunter parodies on songs... please do.**

**ChaoticSymphonyofDarkness: hey... that's not such a bad idea ^_^.**

**And finally, I want to dedicate this chapter to ComingAndGoingByBubble for her birthday. Yes, don't ask me how I know, you'll probably find out sooner or later... That's all I'm gonna say 3:). Anyway, happy birthday and I hope you like this :).**

* * *

Elphaba looked as if she was about to jump the doctor if he wouldn't continue talking right this instant – not that Fiyero could blame her – but at that moment, the man's face broke into a smile and he nodded. 'I haven't got the faintest clue how this is possible, for I have never seen such a thing in my life, but your baby is fine, Elphaba. It's alive and healthy – or as healthy as can be expected after the ordeal you've been through, anyway.'

That did it. She burst into tears then and found herself unable to stop, even though she desperately tried to, because the doctor was eyeing her a bit worriedly and so was Fiyero, but she just couldn't. The tears kept pouring out of her eyes, tears of relief and joy, but also the tears that she had tried so hard not to shed until then, tears for the fear and grief and anger and helplessness and despair and all of the other emotions that she had been suppressing for weeks now. Fiyero just held her, trying to comfort her by whispering soothing words in her ear and gently rubbing her back. He was crying as well as he realised that his daughter was alive. Elyssah was alive and so was Elphaba, and in about five months, he was going to be a father after all. They were going to have a beautiful baby girl together, him and Elphaba, and he couldn't be happier.

Fiyero quietly assured the doctor that Elphaba was fine and the man nodded sympathetically and flashed them a smile. 'She's been through a lot. I understand. Try to get her to rest, will you, please? I'll come back in the morning to check up on her.'

Fiyero nodded and the doctor left the room. Elphaba was still sobbing, heart wrenching, broken sobs, and he closed his eyes for a moment and nuzzled her hair. 'Ssh… You'll be okay, my Fae, you'll be okay… We're all going to be okay.' He felt as if he had said those words a thousand times already in the past few months, but this, he realised with a slight shock, was the first time he actually believed what he was saying. 'You, me, Elyssah…' he continued. 'We're going to be fine. We're going to be a family, Fae.'

For some reason, that only made her cry harder, but Fiyero just continued to hold her and soothe her until her sobs died down a little. He pulled away and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. She pressed her face against his hand and closed her eyes, taking a few quivering breaths. 'I… I just can't believe she's alive,' she whispered, resting one hand on her stomach once again. Fiyero put his hand over hers. 'I know,' he said softly. A grin lit up his face. 'But she is.'

She nodded weakly. 'Yeah…' She yawned and quickly clasped one hand over her mouth. 'I'm sorry. I guess I'm just… worn out.'

He laughed and adjusted their position a little, so that they were both lying down, her with her head resting on his chest, as he pulled the blanket up to her chin to prevent her from getting cold. 'That's all right. You know I think it looks-'

'If you're going to say 'adorable', I'm going to break your nose,' she groaned without as much as opening her eyes.

He chuckled. 'I was going to say 'cute'.'

Now she did open her eyes – to glare at him. 'You're unbelievable.'

He bent down to kiss her nose. 'I know. Go to sleep, Fae. You need it.'

* * *

She woke up in the middle of the night, with a start, but without making any sound, from yet another nightmare.

They were still there, but they had changed. They weren't as clear and vivid as they were before – a sign that her earlier nightmares had probably indeed been some kind of visions. She hadn't recognised them at the time – or she hadn't been sure, anyway – but Frex threatening Galinda and shooting Fiyero, a month before, had been too similar to her dreams to be coincidental. She was glad it was over, however; her current nightmares she could deal with. They were just her unconscious' way to process everything that had happened.

She knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep anymore, so she gingerly left the bed, careful not to wake Fiyero, and sat herself in the window sill. She wasn't sure why, but window sills were her favourite places to sit when she needed to think. She guessed it was because she could gaze up at the sky from there and dream about things she wouldn't otherwise let herself think of… things she had always thought would never happen to her. Things like falling in love, being popular, getting married… having a family.

She looked at Fiyero and smiled; then she put both hands on her stomach and closed her eyes, trying to feel her daughter inside of her, but there was no movement there. For just a moment, she dreaded that the doctor had been wrong, that Elyssah was gone after all, and she panicked a little. 'Elyssah?' she whispered. 'Lys? If you're there, please answer me.' _Oz, I'm being stupid right now_, she thought sarcastically. _I'm asking my unborn baby to answer me. I'm going insane._

But just then, she felt the familiar nudge in her mind and her smile returned full force. 'Hi, baby girl,' she whispered, and before she even knew it, the tears were flowing again. She sniffled. 'I'm so glad you're all right!'

She gently poked her stomach and gasped as she could feel the fluttery feeling again, the feeling that indicated that Elyssah was, indeed, alive and moving. 'Please don't scare me like that ever again,' Elphaba whispered. 'I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I knew that you died because of… well, because of me. In fact, just don't use your magic anymore as long as you're in there. You need to save your strength and it's not like we'll need you to save me again, anyway. At least,' she muttered under her breath as her gaze wandered towards the night sky she could see through the window, 'I hope not.'

* * *

'There's one thing I don't understand,' she declared when she and Fiyero were alone in the room once again the next day. Elphaba, being Elphaba, was completely fed up already with having to stay in this one room all the time – or even worse, staying in the bed, which was what she was actually _supposed _to do – and she was extremely bored, but they wouldn't let her leave. The doctor didn't even approve of her leaving the bed for at least another week, but of course she did that, anyway. She was immensely grateful for Fiyero's company; he hadn't left her side for a clock-tick and as dreary as it was to be on bed rest, it gave them time to talk about everything that had happened and sort everything out.

Fiyero looked at her in mock disbelief at her confession. 'There is something _Elphaba Thropp _doesn't understand?' he exclaimed, exaggeratedly widening his eyes and clasping his hands together. 'Sweet Oz, that's a miracle! I have to write to the newspaper – no, to the Wizard himself! This has to be publicly announced! This has never happened before! For the first time in history, _Elphaba Thropp _doesn't _understand_ something!'

She was looking at him with one arched eyebrow, an exasperated look on her face. 'Are you done?' She was trying to look irritable, but when he gave her one of those adorable lopsided grins, a smile crept onto her face and she whacked his arm. 'Stop it, you big oaf!'

He laughed and drew her into his arms. 'I was just kidding. What don't you understand?'

Her face grew serious again. 'Well… I'm a witch.'

'I noticed that,' he said drily and she whacked his arm again. 'And you're not.'

'I'm not?'

She glared at him and he grinned. 'What are you trying to say, Fae?'

'I was just wondering…' She chewed her bottom lip, as she often did when she was thinking about something. 'Elyssah is only half witch, right? I know it's possible that she is about as powerful as I am myself, if she has inherited my 'magical' genes, but I don't understand how she can be _more _powerful than I am. I mean, I'm pretty sure _I _didn't have powers in the womb.'

Fiyero thought about that for a clock-tick. 'Perhaps it has to do with the fact that you're a witch, too.'

She stared at him blankly. 'Huh?'

He hid a smile at that. 'What I mean is… didn't you say that she was channelling her own magic through yours? Or even tapping into your magic when she tried to use her own?'

She thought about that. 'Yes. Well, that was what it felt like, anyway.'

'So my guess is that she has her own powers, but she can only use them through yours – for the time being, anyway, probably thus enhancing them in the process. You know, using _your _powers to strengthen her own? Your mother – Melena – she didn't have powers, did she?' Elphaba shook her head and he nodded. 'So you had nothing to channel your own powers through. You probably _did _have powers in the womb, only you couldn't use them yet. So Elyssah is just as powerful as you are – or were, at that age – only because you're a witch as well, she can actually display her magic, while you couldn't. She'll probably be less powerful when she is actually born, because then she won't be able to tap into _your _powers anymore.' He looked thoughtful for a moment, then made a face. 'Did that make any sense at all?'

She smiled and nodded, looking at him in admiration. 'It did. It explains it perfectly, actually. When did you get so smart?'

He laughed and gently poked her swollen belly. 'I've always been smart!'

She shot him a sceptical look, but there was a grin on her face, and he pulled her to him. 'I guess I've just been hanging around you for too long.' He gave her an innocent look. 'I have even come up with another possible explanation,' he said in mock pride, and she chuckled. 'Do tell me.'

'Well,' he drew her closer to him, 'you and I are just so perfect together that together, we're magic, and so when we made love, which is about as together as we could be, we released all of that magic into a few of our combined genes, and that created Elyssah. So basically she's just the magical result of our magical relationship,' he declared smugly. She laughed and snuggled up to him. 'As sweet as that is, I think I'm going to have to go with the first explanation. That one sounds more plausible, you know,' she teased him and he pouted, then smiled and kissed her hair. 'I love you.'

She smiled, too. 'I love you too.'

At that moment, there were footsteps outside in the hallway and someone entered the room. The person was around Fiyero's neck before either of them even knew it and the prince blinked. 'Mom?' he asked in disbelief.

Lori pulled back a little to slap at Fiyero's chest. 'Fiyero Tiggular, don't you dare do that to me ever again! I was worried _sick _about you!' She slammed his chest again and he gasped. '_Ouch_!'

Lori immediately backed up, realising that his bullet wound still hadn't fully healed. 'I'm sorry. But I think you kind of deserved it, too. Oz, Fiyero, if I'm going to die prematurely due to a stroke or a heart attack, it's going to be _your _fault! You could at _least _have left me a note!'

'You knew where I went,' he pointed out, but she just glowered at him. 'That's beside the point!' It was only then she caught sight of Elphaba and suddenly, there was a bright smile on her face. 'Oh, sweetheart, I'm so glad you're all right! That villager, Turin – he sent us a note, telling us that Fiyero found you… He also said something about you being hurt – are you all right? And the baby?'

'We're both fine,' Elphaba assured her with a smile and Lori hugged the green girl. 'Oh, I'm glad, sweetheart, I really am. I'm going to get you out of here and you're coming to the Vinkus with us,' she said. Elphaba opened her mouth to protest, but Lori cut her off. '_No_. I won't have any of it. I'll take care of things with Madame Morrible, so don't worry about your school, but I will not let you out of our sight again. Sweet Oz, Elphaba, I can't even imagine what you've been going through!'

Elphaba merely nodded, not wanting to be reminded of all that. 'But Frex is gone now,' she insisted quietly. 'There's no danger for me anymore.'

Lori shook her head. 'Still. I'm taking you with me, whether you like it or not.' Fiyero chuckled at that – his mother and Elphaba shared a few personality traits, and incredible stubbornness was one of them. 'Besides, I talked to the doctor outside and he told me that you're not allowed to strain yourself until the baby is born, so returning to Shiz is not an option. Just let us take care of you for a few months. Galinda and Nessa are in the Vinkus, too, and we _all_ just want to take care of you.' Fiyero noticed how Elphaba made a face at that – he knew she didn't like to be taken care of – and he gave her a stern look. 'Let them, Fae, or I'll tie you down to the bed to keep you from straining yourself.' He had intended it as a joke, but she looked away and fumbled with the blankets. 'I think I'm through with being tied up, thank you very much,' she said, but her voice missed her usual sarcasm and she was still avoiding his gaze.

Fiyero gaped at her. 'He tied you up?!' She had refrained from telling him that part and she wasn't planning to tell him much about it now, either. Instead, she just said, 'Never mind, Fiyero.' She looked back at Lori. 'Did you say Galinda is in the Vinkus? The last thing I heard was that she had taken off with Paro to look for me.'

Lori looked as if she wanted to say more about the previous subject, but seeing the plead in Elphaba's eyes, she cleared her throat and said, 'Yes, they _have _been looking for you. Hamold's search patrols came across them and escorted them back to the Vinkus, on Hamold's orders. He never wanted them to wander around by themselves in the first place, and he wasn't going to let them go again. Galinda especially didn't like that, but we didn't give her much of a choice,' Lori smiled. 'She'll be overjoyed to hear that you're all right. So will Nessa, Boq, and Paro, I'm sure – they were all so worried! And they were worried about _you_, too,' she added, glaring once again at her son. 'You agreed to stay in that hospital until you were _healed_, Fiyero.'

'I can't recall ever saying such a thing,' he said innocently, and Lori stared daggers at him. 'Yero, you could have gotten yourself killed. Especially in your condition. You were barely able to walk when you left!'

'I could walk just fine, Mom. You're exaggerating.'

Lori threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. 'You could have _died_!'

Fiyero went to stand next to Elphaba's bed and took her hand, still looking at his mother. 'It was worth the risk.'

'Yero…' the green girl began, but he cut her off. 'It was. Don't argue. I know you still don't believe that I would die for you, but I would.'

'You almost did,' she pointed out in a slightly quivering voice, and he squeezed the hand he was holding. 'Almost. But not quite.'

Elphaba stared at him for a while before declaring, 'You are impossible.'

'Yet another thing we can agree on,' Lori chuckled softly, and Elphaba flashed her a grin. Fiyero just sighed. 'I'm doomed.'

Lori patted his back in a mock attempt to comfort him before directing her attention back to Elphaba. 'All right. Elphaba, sweetheart, here's what we're going to do. I'm going to get that doctor to agree to transfer you to the Vinkus-'

'He'll never agree,' Fiyero warned her, but Lori shushed him. 'I'm the Queen of the Vinkus. He _has _to agree. You're going to stay with us at Adurin Iir, our castle, until well after the baby is born. We've got a few amazing doctors there and we'll make sure no harm will come to you, sweetheart, I promise you that. You've been through enough already. From now on, all you're going to have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy your pregnancy, got it?'

Elphaba had to smile at that. 'Thank you.'

'Of course, sweetheart, of course.' Lori came over to hug the green girl again before darting out of the room to go and find the doctor.


	26. Going Well

**AN: Thank you so much, all of you!**

**For some reason, you all mentioning Fiyero's mom reminded me of Stifler's mom from American Pie, which is disturbing. Plus now I feel the need to tell someone random, 'Oh my Oz, I love Fiyero's mom!' but I think they'll lock me up if I do, so let's not :3.**

**By the way... the other day I was reading Wicked fanfic with my pet bunny sitting on my lap (it's really fluffly and cute, its name is Brownie) and I was talking to it in that stupid high-pitched voice people always use when talking to animals, and then I accidentally called it Fiyero. Really. I was like, 'Yes, you're cute, Fiye- _what the hell am I saying_?!' Thankfully, there was no one around to hear it, but still... it was disturbing. Perhaps I should be locked away after all :O.**

**Anyway... I am certainly considering a sequel, but I'm not going to write it right away. I have two other ideas first (yes, two. I'm a bad person - I always read and write more than one story at a time, otherwise it just doesn't work for me. I'm weird) that I want to try out first. One is going to be a light and probably nice and fluffy Shiz-era Fiyeraba, while the other is also going to be Fiyeraba and will probably involve some fluff, but that will be the story in which I'm going to involve lots of drama and dying and angst and torture, just because I can :D.**

**P.S. Yes, Failey, that was intended as a compliment :P.**

* * *

It turned out to be surprisingly easy to convince the doctors to transfer Elphaba to the Vinkus and so the next day, Lori and Fiyero took her with them to the Vinkus by carriage, where she was reunited with Galinda and Nessa – a matter involving lots of squeals (Galinda), hugs (both Galinda and Nessa) and tears (all three of them, although in Elphaba's case it had more to do with hormones). Paro, Boq and Hamold were also very glad to see her, and a room had already been prepared for her. Since she was still on bed rest, everyone visited her constantly; they all wanted to hear what had happened, of course, and they in turn filled her in on what had happened at Shiz and in the Vinkus while she had been away. Fiyero stuck with her all the time, which she loved, and by the time she was allowed to get out of bed and walk around a little, she was actually quite enjoying all of it. She still hated that she was so weak and had to depend on everyone taking care of her, but she felt calmer and more rested than she ever had in the past months.

Spring came and her stomach kept growing. She often talked to Elyssah when she was alone, and Fiyero had taken up the same habit, which she found a bit silly, but endearing at the same time. Her nightmares slowly subsided to the point where they were only there occasionally, and everything seemed to go well for some time.

'You seem to be healing well, Miss Elphaba,' the doctor commented one day after examining Elphaba. Galinda, sitting in a chair next to the bed, squeaked and hugged her friend, and Fiyero looked relieved, too. Everyone was there – Elphaba's bedroom had almost become their new living room, since they all spent nearly every spare moment they had in there. Elphaba wouldn't have it any other way – at least it prevented her from getting too bored. Plus, they were usually kind enough to bring her books, which was definitely an advantage.

'How far are you now? Twenty-two weeks?' the doctor asked, and Elphaba nodded. The doctor held up a bottle filled with a some kind of liquid. 'I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to start drinking this from now on.'

Elphaba eyed the stuff warily. 'What is it?'

'It's healthy for the both of you, don't worry,' the doctor assured her. 'It contains lots of vitamins for you and for the baby.'

Elphaba still didn't trust it. 'What's it made of?'

'It's made of parts of several plants and herbs,' the doctor explained. 'Raspberries, lemon balm…'

'Oh, I had those too, when I was pregnant with Fiyero,' Lori remembered. She smiled at her son. 'I think that turned out quite well, didn't it?'

'Unless his brainlessness was caused by those herbs,' Paro chuckled, 'in which case it wouldn't be wise to have them.'

Fiyero whacked his arm. 'Hey!'

Galinda giggled and tugged Paro's arm. 'You're funny.'

Elphaba rolled her eyes at her friend good-naturedly and the blonde stuck out her tongue. Lori looked back at the doctor. 'Is there anything else in it?'

'More fruits and herbs,' he said simply. 'Pears, kiwis, milk flowers…'

It was as if he had dropped a bomb. Elphaba scrambled backwards on the bed, as far away from the doctor and his poisonous potion as she could get, looking panicked. Nessa's eyes had widened and Galinda and Boq took position in between the doctor and Elphaba protectively, with the petit blonde girl screeching into the poor man's face, 'Get that stuff away from her _right now_!'

The doctor hadn't got the faintest clue what was happening and hurried out of the room, quite frankly a little scared by the fuming blonde. Lori gave Galinda a look. 'Honey, I know you're only trying to help and that's very sweet of you, but you could have been a bit more subtle. You scared the poor man to death.'

'I don't care!' Galinda shrieked, still furious. 'I'm not letting him near Elphie ever again!'

'Galinda, he didn't know-' Paro began, but the blonde had already jumped onto the bed, pulling her green friend into a tight hug. 'Oh, Elphie, are you okay?'

'I'm fine,' Elphaba assured her, but her voice was quivering a little. 'Just… shaken, I guess. I'm sorry, I just… I didn't expect that.'

'Don't worry, Elphaba,' Boq assured her, glowering at the now closed door. 'We won't let him give you that potion.'

Elphaba smiled bleakly at him. 'No… Paro was right. He couldn't know.'

'Know what?' Fiyero demanded, looking around the room in utter confusion. 'Am I the only one that has no idea what is going on?'

Galinda's eyes widened as she looked at Elphaba, who was avoiding the blonde's gaze. 'You didn't _tell _him?' Galinda hissed, and Elphaba shook her head. 'With everything that has been going on? No, it kind of slipped my mind,' she hissed back, an edge of sarcasm slipping into her voice. She nodded towards the King and Queen and Paro. 'How do _they _know?'

Now Galinda looked sheepish. 'I kind of told them.'

'Lin! That was a secret!' Elphaba protested, but Nessa defended the blonde girl. 'It was my fault,' she said. 'It came up, you know, why I couldn't walk and what happened to our mother, and I told Galinda she could tell them. I'm sorry, Fabala.'

'No, that's okay,' Elphaba assured her sister with a sigh. She looked at Fiyero, who was following their conversation with still a confused look on his face. 'I'm sorry, Yero… I never meant for everyone to know except for you. I didn't keep it from you on purpose.'

'You did,' Galinda pointed out bluntly. Elphaba shot her a dangerous look and the blonde backed off. 'What? You _did_, at first! I remember you telling me after your first date…'

'You're not helping, Lin!' Elphaba said in exasperation and the blonde grimaced. 'Sorry.'

'Let's leave Elphaba and Fiyero alone for a moment, shall we?' Lori suggested, and Elphaba sent her a grateful look. Her almost-mother-in-law smiled at her before directing everyone out of the room and Elphaba turned to face Fiyero with a sigh.

He was watching her, one eyebrow raised. 'So what's going on? The moment that doctor said milk flowers, you all started freaking out.' He noticed how she winced again when he said it and he shook his head in exasperation. 'What is it about these milk flowers?'

She took a deep breath. 'I'll tell you. You know my mother died, right?'

He softened immediately and squeezed her hand. 'Yes. I figured that out in the beginning – you never talked about her, or about your family in general, and when Frex was… doing… you know… what he was doing…' He couldn't get the phrase 'kidnapped you' past his lips. 'She was never there. She wasn't even mentioned. You told me later that she had died, but you never told me what had happened exactly.'

Elphaba nodded. 'She died when giving birth to Nessa.'

He squeezed her hand again. 'Knowing that, and now knowing about Frex, I understand why you never wanted to talk about your family,' he muttered.

She gave him a half-hearted grin. 'Yeah.' She took another deep breath before continuing. 'Anyway… that's where the milk flowers come in… and me. You see… my father hated me from the beginning. Because I was green. When my mother was pregnant with Nessa, she and Frex were afraid that Nessa would be born green, too. He made my mother chew milk flowers… and that's why Nessa came too early, why she can't walk now… why my mother never woke up. That's also why I've taken care of Nessa all my life, and why I never stood up to Frex. Because I deserved to be treated like that, you see? For what I had done to them, to my mother, my baby sister, my father… to our entire family,' she whispered. 'If it hadn't been for me, my mother would be alive and Nessa would be able to walk right now.'

Fiyero was shocked to hear that. He knew Elphaba always blamed herself for everything, he knew how much she cared about Nessa, but he had never known how deep that all went. He hadn't expected... well, this.

He pulled her into his arms. 'You can't possibly believe that.'

'It's the truth,' she insisted. 'It's my fault.'

'It's the milk flowers' fault. Or your fathers', actually, for making your mother chew them.'

'If I hadn't been born…'

'Don't you _ever _say that!' He broke away to grab her shoulders and shake her a little, anger burning in his azure eyes. 'It was _not _your fault, Elphaba! I don't want you to think that! You didn't deserve to be treated the way you have – if there is anyone not deserving that in this world, it's you! You're the most wonderful person I know, Fae. If you hadn't been born…' He shook his head in disbelief. 'If you hadn't been born, Nessa would have been lonely all her life. Galinda would have ended up a spoiled brat that only cared about her popularity. Elyssah wouldn't exist. I would have been miserable for the rest of my life. You changed us, Fae, you did. For the better. Without you, the world would be dark and horrible and completely without happiness and…'

'I get it, Yero,' she laughed, but it was a bit forced. 'But you're not going to change my mind about this. I know father believed it, and even if you don't, that doesn't mean it isn't true.' He opened his mouth to protest, but she held up one hand. 'Not now. Please? I'm tired.'

He nodded and helped her lie down. 'I'll make sure those milk flowers stay away from you,' he promised, and she smirked slightly. 'Thank you, Yero, but I can decide myself what I'm going to swallow and what not. I was just overreacting a little.'

He stared at her. 'Overreacting? After what those milk flowers did to your mother and Nessa? That was _not _overreacting, Fae. Not at all.' He kissed her forehead. 'Now go to sleep, all right? I'm going to talk to the others for a moment, but I'll be back.' She nodded and closed her eyes as he left the room.

* * *

She only slept for an hour or so before another nightmare – one about milk flowers, Elyssah being born with tangled little legs and lots of blood and pain – woke her up, so she retreated to her spot in the window sill again. That's where she was still sitting when Fiyero came back into the room, quietly as not to wake her up, but surprised when he noticed the empty bed. He saw her, then, and walked over to sit next to her. 'Hey. Couldn't you sleep?'

'Nightmare,' she said a bit absent-mindedly, and he stroked her cheek. 'You okay?' He could see she had been crying, but she seemed calm now, and she nodded. 'Yeah… fine.'

'Want to talk about it?'

She shook her head. 'Not really.'

And so they just sat in silence for a while until Elphaba suddenly gasped, one hand flying to her stomach. Fiyero immediately leapt to his feet. 'What is it? Is it the baby? Is something wrong? You're not in labour, are you?'

She exhaled slowly, then rolled her eyes at him. 'Yero, would you please just _relax_?'

He looked sheepish. 'Sorry. But what's wrong, then?'

She shook her head, smiling now. 'Nothing's _wrong_, Yero.'

'But you just-'

She cut him off by taking his hand and guiding it to rest on her stomach. She gingerly prodded her abdomen and waited for Elyssah's response, which came a few clock-ticks later. She smiled radiantly as she watched Fiyero's facial expression change from one of confusion to one of pure awe. 'Is that…'

'Yero, may I introduce you to your daughter,' Elphaba said, chuckling softly at his reaction. 'Lys, this is your Daddy.'

Fiyero moved his hand to poke her belly, then hesitated. 'May I?'

She rolled her eyes again. 'We're engaged, stupid. Of course you may.'

He grinned at her and softly poked her stomach, holding his breath when he could feel Elyssah kick in reply. 'Wow,' he breathed.

She was beaming. 'Yeah. I know.'

'Hi, sweetie!' Fiyero cooed to Elphaba's belly. 'I'm so happy you're still in there! I didn't even properly thank you for saving my life, did I? Well, thank you. Very much. Both you and your amazing Mommy.'

'My eyes are going to get stuck in a weird position if you make me roll them one more time,' she warned him.

Fiyero chuckled and kissed her. 'I'd like to see that. Now there's something my mother wanted me to talk to you about. My twenty-second birthday is coming up in a few weeks, and my parents always arrange this huge ball to celebrate it… and this time it's going to be even bigger, because it's also going to be our engagement ball. My Mom's idea, not mine.'

She eyed him warily. 'You want me to attend a ball.'

He nodded, smiling broadly, knowing perfectly well how she felt about this. She sighed deeply. 'Yero… I hate parties. You know that. And I'll look preposterous – a green girl with a swollen belly in a ball gown? Not to mention the fact that my feet feel so enormously large that I imagine I'm going to have to wear canoes on them instead of regular shoes…'

Fiyero merely laughed and pulled her onto his lap. 'You'll be fine. And you look amazing. You've got that pregnant women's glow.'

'Shut up.'

'Unfortunately, you've also got the hormones, causing the bad temper and the mood swings…'

'Careful, pretty boy, if you ever want to have more children. Because one kick in a certain sensitive spot and I can make sure that'll never happen.' She glared at him, but he only chuckled. 'I love you, Fae. And I'm serious – you look beautiful, no matter what. Now would you please, _please _let me escort you to the ball? Pretty please?'

'You sound like Galinda,' she told him, wrinkling her nose in mock disgust. He widened his eyes in mock innocence and fluttered his eyelashes at her. 'Pretty please, Elphie?' he said in a high-pitched voice. It was actually a quite good imitation of the bubbly blonde.

She laughed and whacked his arm. 'Fine. I suppose now that we're engaged I'm going to have to get used to balls and parties, anyway.'

He grinned at her and kissed her. 'Yes, you're going to have to attend many, many more once we're married, Princess Fae of the Vinkus. I like the sound of that.' She only rolled her eyes again.

He pulled her closer and rested his chin on top of her head. 'We'll pick a date right after Elyssah is born. It's going to be amazing, Fae. Just you and me and our baby girl.'

She pressed her cheek against his chest, closed her eyes and sighed happily. 'That sounds perfect.'

That night, she was snuggled up to him as usual, and they both had one hand rested on Elphaba's stomach. Fiyero couldn't feel his daughter move every time Elphaba did, but he felt enough to feel tears welling up in his eyes and Elphaba looked at him, slightly amused. 'Are you _crying_?'

'No,' he sniffled indignantly, wiping at his eyes. She laughed, cupped his face with both hands and kissed him. 'Yero my crying hero,' she chuckled and he laughed softly. She trailed one finger down his chest, lingering as she reached the scar from his bullet wound. She swallowed difficultly. 'Does it hurt?'

He took her other hand and kissed her fingers. 'No.'

She glanced at him anxiously. 'Don't lie to me.'

He shook his head. 'I'm not. It did hurt, at first, but it doesn't anymore. It healed pretty well.'

She traced the scar again. 'It's my fault,' she whispered. He pulled back a little in order to be able to give her a stern look. 'Not another _word_. Oz, Fae, not everything bad that happens in the world is your fault, and this certainly wasn't! You saved me. That's it. Can we just leave it at that?'

She snuggled up against him and closed her eyes. 'I love you, Yero. So much.'

He kissed first her stomach, then her lips. 'I love you too, Fae.' He tightened his grip on her and she nuzzled his neck, and that was how they fell asleep.


	27. Dancing Once Again

**AN: Yes, I know, it's been a while, I'm so sorry! It's just I really lacked inspiration for this one, and I'm in the middle of my exam week, so things are a little crazy around here... Anyway, after this one, I think there'll be two more chapters... and then it'll be over. **

**BlueD: I would kill myself if I'd call my cousin Fiyero. If anyone is _not _like Fiyero, it's my cousin - unless Fiyero also farts, burps and looks at dirty videos on his phone in the company of his family (including his poor, poor grandparents)? No, I didn't think so.**

**I almost called that very same bunny 'Nessa' the other day, by the way. I'm starting to get worried.**

* * *

'Fae?' Fiyero called, knocking on the door of her bedroom. 'Fae, are you ready?'

'You're not coming in!' her muffled voice came from behind the thick door. 'I look ridiculous!'

Smiling to himself, he pushed open the door and gaped at her. She looked far from ridiculous. In fact, she looked amazing.

She glared at him. 'Staring is considered rude where I come from.'

He laughed and wrapped her in his arms. 'You look stunning.'

'I look fat.'

'You look pregnant, which is something entirely different.' He kissed her. 'Come on. There are a few people I'd like to introduce you to.'

He offered her his arm and she took it, smiling at him. She felt Elyssah kick and she cringed a little. 'Take it easy, little one.'

Fiyero put one hand on her stomach and waited until the baby kicked again. A huge grin appeared on his face. 'Hi, Lyssie! You seem to be getting bigger every day!'

'Are you saying _I'm _getting bigger every day?' Elphaba asked irritably, and he kissed the tip of her nose. 'No. _You _are getting more beautiful every day.'

She rolled her eyes at him as they descended the stairs and walked towards the doors of the ballroom. 'I'm getting fatter and more irritable every day. And still three more months to go…' She moaned softly. 'How am I going to _stand _it? I already feel like an elephant!'

Fiyero chuckled. 'Oh, come on, Fae. You don't look half as big as I'm sure you feel.'

She glared at him. 'Is that supposed to make me feel better?'

He gulped and quickly dragged her into the ballroom in the hope of avoiding her temper. To his relief, he felt her relax when his mother came up to greet them, wearing a beaming smile. 'Hi, Elphaba, sweetheart, it's good to see you! You look so pretty! Yero, are you going to introduce her to-'

'Yes, Mom, I'm going to introduce her to everyone,' he interrupted her with a sigh, and to his horror, his mother actually reached out and pinched his cheek. 'That's my boy!'

Elphaba chortled when they walked away. Huh. At least she was in a better mood now. 'Yes, that's my boy!' she imitated Lori, pinching his cheek. He shot her a death glare, which only made her laugh harder. 'Oh, I do love you, Yero.'

Fortunately, Fiyero spotted his friends just then and took Elphaba over towards them. 'Hi, guys!' he greeted them cheerfully. The boys turned around and one of them slapped his shoulder. 'Fiyero, idiot! It's good to see you!'

'Fae, this is Laoyar,' Fiyero introduced his fiancée to his friend, 'and this is Moss. Guys, this is my fiancée, Elphaba Thropp.'

Moss gave her a charming smile and kissed her hand exorbitantly. 'It's a pleasure to finally meet the woman who got our dear Fiyero here to _think_. Really, I have no clue how you accomplished it, but I admire you for it.'

Elphaba chuckled and Fiyero cast his eyes heavenwards. 'Why does everyone respond the same way?' he demanded. 'It's not funny anymore, you know. And it's not true, either. I _did _think before I met Elphaba!'

Moss quirked an eyebrow at his friend and Fiyero grumbled. 'Occasionally,' he added, causing the others to laugh.

Laoyar, in the meantime, had been staring at Elphaba the entire time, until she had enough of it and shot him a dangerous glare. 'I won't kill you right away, because you're a friend of Fiyero's, but if you don't stop staring _right now_, you're going to lose a limb. I know I'm green. It's not contagious. Now stop it.'

'I would if I were you,' Fiyero advised his friend. 'She's got one hell of a temper, you know, what with the hormones and all.'

'Did you want to lose a limb as well, Fiyero?' Elphaba threatened, but he could see the glint of amusement in her eyes and assumed she didn't mean it. Or at least, he hoped she didn't.

Laoyar was looking mortified. 'It's not the green!' he hastened to explain. 'I'm sorry I stared, I didn't think about how that look to you, but you're… um… you look very beautiful,' he said finally, lowering his eyes and shifting uncomfortably. Fiyero grinned and slipped an arm around Elphaba's waist. 'See? I'm not the only one who thinks so.'

She glared at him, then at Laoyar. The boy backed off a little, but then Moss chimed in. 'He's right, you know. You do look stunning. Plus you've got that pregnant woman's glow. Seriously, if you weren't Fiyero's fiancée, I know what I'd do,' he said with a wink, making her blush. Fortunately, Paro and Galinda chose just that moment to join them, directing the attention away from the green girl. 'Hi!' Galinda chirped, and Paro smiled affectionately at her. 'Guys,' he said to Moss and Laoyar, 'this is Galinda. My… um… girlfriend.' The blonde looked baffled at that and stared up at him, causing him to squirm a little. 'If that's all right with you,' he offered weakly, but she flashed him a beaming smile. 'Of course that's all right with me!' she practically shrieked, bouncing up and down. She tugged at Elphaba's arm. 'Did you hear that, Elphie? He called me his _girlfriend_!'

'I was there, Lin,' Elphaba replied drily, and the blonde squealed and dragged Paro with her. 'Come on, let's dance!'

'We'll come back later, guys,' Fiyero told his friends. 'I'm going to introduce Fae to the rest of the family first.' He took her hand and guided her to a few people standing in a corner. As they came closer, Elphaba recognised Hamold and Lori, but she didn't know the others.

'Fiyero!' one of the women exclaimed as she hurried over to the prince to squish his face between her hands and kiss both his cheeks. 'How is my favourite nephew?'

He rolled his eyes. 'Aunt Mimika, this is Elphaba Thropp, my fiancée. Fae, this is my Aunt Mimi. She's also going to be your midwife.'

Mimi's eyes had widened. 'Oh, Elphaba, it's so nice to finally meet you! Kor! Come see Fiyero's fiancée!' She beckoned one of the men over, who smiled at the green girl. 'Hi, I'm Kor, Fiyero's uncle.'

'Hello,' Elphaba greeted them a bit shyly and Mimi kissed her cheeks, as well. Fiyero's other aunt and uncle, the ones from the Emerald City, came over to say hi as well and suddenly she found herself to be the centre of attention. It lasted for a while before Fiyero excused them and took her with him to a quiet corner of the room.

Elphaba exhaled in relief. 'Thank you. I was getting a little itchy back there.'

He laughed. 'I noticed. They're not that bad, really, they're just a bit… enthusiastic.' He chuckled. 'My Aunt Mimi is amazing, though. I'll make sure you two will get to know each other in the months to follow, so that you'll be comfortable with her helping you deliver Elyssah when the time comes. She's a great midwife – she helped my mother with delivering me, and she's very experienced.'

Elphaba smiled at him. 'I'm sure that we'll be fine. Is she staying here?'

Fiyero shook his head. 'Her and my uncle Kor live nearby. They're Paro's parents, and… Oh, I see Galinda just worked that out as well,' he added as he saw the blonde girl bouncing over to his aunt and uncle and flashing them a beaming smile. Elphaba smirked. 'No doubt she's going to wriggle herself into their favour. She always manages to wrap the parents-in-law-to-be around her little finger within mere clock-ticks. Of course, she's had over a dozen parents-in-law-to-be already…'

'How many boys _did _she date?' Fiyero asked curiously, and Elphaba held up her hands. 'I haven't got the slightest clue and I really don't think I want to find out, either. All I know is that she proclaimed every single one she dated as 'the one', telling me she had found her soul mate and that her and the boy were going to be married… until they had a second date, that was, and she'd find out that he had a pimple, or his hair was greasy, or he didn't have enough money, or he didn't pull out her chair for her… Galinda wears out boys sooner than she does dresses.'

The hired orchestra started a new song and Fiyero bowed for her. 'Would you care for a dance, Milady?'

'I can't dance. My belly is in the way. And I'll look stupid.'

'You don't really have a choice,' he told her as he dragged her down to the dance floor. 'I only asked you because it was the gentleman thing to do, but you're going to dance with me whether you like it or not.'

'Sweet _Oz_,' she grumbled, but she allowed him to place one hand on her waist and one on her shoulder as they started waltzing. For the duration of one dance, it was like they were at the OzDust again, whirling around on the dance floor in each other's arms – was that really only six months ago? It felt like a lifetime.

Elphaba would never admit it, but she was secretly quite enjoying herself at the ball. She spent the rest of the evening talking to all kinds of people – Boq and Nessa, Galinda and Paro, but also Lori, Hamold, and Fiyero's aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and friends. And Fiyero managed to get her to dance a few more times, of which he was really proud. By the end of the evening, she was exhausted, but happy.

* * *

The weeks passed slowly after that, with pregnancy symptoms coming and going, and with Fiyero making a fuss over each and every one of them. Every time Elphaba so much as _moved_, he would be all over her, asking her if she was all right. If she felt dizzy, he wanted to call a doctor. If she complained about back pain, he'd make her stay in bed all day. And every time she gasped, he wanted to go get his Aunt Mimi immediately, convinced that his fiancée was in labour while in reality, Elyssah was just kicking her from the inside. Frankly, Elphaba was getting _extremely _itchy and irritated with him.

They were sitting in the library one day, Elphaba reading in the window sill, Fiyero sitting across from her, massaging her swollen feet, when suddenly, she grimaced, then gasped. '_Ouch_!'

Fiyero, as usual, immediately tensed. 'Hard kick?'

Elphaba shook her head. 'No. Braxton-Hicks contractions, I think.'

She realised only a clock-tick later that that had been the wrong thing to say.

He was on his feet in an instant and panicking. '_Contractions_? Are you serious? Are you having contractions? Fae? Are you in labour? You can't give birth yet, it's too soon! I'll go get Aunt Mimi, and my Mom, and-'

'_Fiyero_!' she said in exasperation, cutting him off. 'They're _Braxton-Hicks _contractions. They're harmless, all right? A little painful, but harmless. I'm not planning on giving birth for another while, so would you please calm down?'

He didn't feel reassured. 'But… don't contractions happen when you're in labour?'

'Braxton-Hicks are more like… practice contractions, or something,' she explained. 'To prepare for the actual labour. I've been having them for months already, practically throughout my entire pregnancy. Sometimes they're more painful than other times. They're nothing to worry about, Yero, really. They're perfectly normal. You can breathe again now,' she added, smirking slightly at his pale face.

He exhaled audibly. 'Okay. If you say so.'

She rolled her eyes. 'I do. Now could we just go downstairs for dinner? Oh, no, wait,' she corrected herself, pushing herself up. 'I need to use the bathroom first.'

He quirked an eyebrow at her. 'Again? You only went, like, half an hour ago!'

She glared at him. 'Yes, _again_. Because I _so _love going to the bathroom, right, Yero? It's a fervent hobby of mine.' Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and he chuckled softly. 'Sorry. Didn't know there were so many discomforts coming with pregnancy.'

She heaved an exaggerated sigh. 'Oz, how I wish sometimes that men could carry babies. I bet it would change them for the better. They'd certainly appreciate us women more.'

He chuckled again and walked over to pull her in his arms and kiss her. 'I do appreciate you, you know that. You're amazing. And if I could take over any of those discomforts, I would.'

She smiled at him and kissed him softly in return. 'I know. You're wonderful. I love you. Now please let me go before I wet myself.'

He did, but when she returned from the bathroom and swayed slightly on her feet and he wanted to take her to bed, she snapped. 'If you don't stop your ridiculous hovering _right this instant_ I swear I'm going to change you into a rabbit and give you to Galinda to keep as a pet until Elyssah is born! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself and I know you mean well, but you're driving me crazy!'

He looked crestfallen. 'But Fae…'

'Don't you 'Fae' me!' she said sourly. 'Just because I'm dizzy, doesn't mean I can't walk on my own – and just because I make a sound, doesn't mean I'm in labour! You _really _need to relax, Yero!'

He looked sheepish. 'Right. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to smother you or anything… I'm just worried, about you, and the baby… I have no idea how this pregnancy thing works,' he admitted.

She softened a bit. 'It's new to me, too, you know,' she pointed out to him, at which he grinned a little. She looked around, then an evil grin appeared on her face as she went to grab a book she had left on the library couch and handed it over to Fiyero. 'Why don't you read this? I know it helped me a lot.'

'_Everything you need to know about your pregnancy,_' Fiyero read out loud. He looked at his fiancée and quirked an eyebrow. 'Really, Fae?'

'Read it. It'll do you good,' she told him. 'And with a little luck, you actually _remember _what you read in here and it'll do _me _good as well. Now come downstairs with me – I'm starving.'

* * *

A week or so later, she found herself in her room, talking to Galinda and Nessa.

'I think Fiyero actually read the book,' Galinda said in all seriousness. 'I wouldn't have thought it possible before, but it's obvious, really – he keeps pointing out these pregnancy facts to me. It's really cute. He's really making an effort, Elphie.'

'I know,' Elphaba said with a smile. 'I can actually talk to him about my pregnancy right now without him freaking out over it. This morning, he came to tell me that I only have one more week to go and then Elyssah can be born without too much danger. Not that she's supposed to, not for another four weeks, but technically, it would be possible and her chances of survival would be good.'

Nessa smiled. 'Only four more weeks… I really can't wait to be Auntie Nessa.'

'This baby is going to be spoiled rotten,' Galinda predicted, and Nessa laughed. 'Yes, with you around…'

Galinda scowled at the girl in the wheelchair. 'Oh, as if _you_'re not going to fuss over her all day!'

'I probably will,' Nessa agreed cheerfully. Elphaba chuckled. 'Hear that, Lys? Brace yourself – as soon as your Aunties get a hold of you, there will be no going back!'

'You make that sound like it's a bad thing.' Galinda tossed her curls over her shoulder, then bent over and cooed at Elphaba's belly, 'You're going to be the loveliest and prettiest and amazingest…'

'Most amazing.'

'Shut up, Elphie. Amazingest and wonderfullest and cutest baby _ever_! We can't wait to meet you!'

Elphaba buried her head in her hands and moaned. 'Sweet Oz. I feel sorry for my baby already.'

Galinda stuck out her tongue and Nessa giggled, then thought of something. 'I'm going back to Boq – we were supposed to meet around two. Will I see you at dinner, Fabala?'

'I'll be there,' the green girl promised. Nessa wheeled herself out of the door and Elphaba pushed herself up from the bed. 'Excuse me for just a clock-tick, Galinda. I _really _have to use the bathroom. _Again_,' she grumbled as she walked into the bathroom.

Galinda giggled. 'Well, pregnancy isn't all wonderful moments an glows and miracles, I suppose. Momsie always told me that when I said I wanted to have ten or eleven children.' She giggled again. 'She said I should wait until my first pregnancy would be over before I would decide on having a second one. I guess that's why I'm an only child – my mother's pregnancy didn't exactly go too smooth… Are you all right in there?' she asked suddenly as she realised she didn't hear anything. 'Elphie? What's taking you so long?'

Meanwhile inside the bathroom, Elphaba was staring wide-eyed at the small puddle of water between her feet. 'Galinda?' she said breathlessly.

'Yes?'

She took a deep breath. 'I think my waters just broke.'

There was silence in the other room for a few moments before Galinda shrieked, 'Your waters just did _what_?!'

'I'm pretty sure there's not much my waters could do but _break_, Lin.' Elphaba tried not to panic. Perhaps she was wrong – perhaps this was something else… even though she had no idea what else it could be.

She could hear Galinda's footsteps, but they stopped just outside the bathroom. 'Can I come in?'

'Yes.'

The blonde burst through the door and squealed as she saw her friend standing there. 'Elphie! I'm going to be Auntie Galinda!'

'I can't, Lin,' Elphaba said, struggling to keep breathing and to stay calm. 'Not yet. I'm not due for another month. I can't give birth yet!'

Galinda's eyes widened as she realised that was true. 'I'm gonna go get Lori! And Fiyero, of course, and Nessa…'

'No!' Elphaba grabbed her friend's wrist. As Galinda looked at the green girl, she saw her eyes were wide and filled with fear and anxiety. She had almost never seen Elphaba like this before. Elphaba was frightened to death. 'Don't leave me alone,' the pregnant girl begged, almost in tears. 'Please.'

'Of course not, Elphie, of course not!' Galinda guided her friend back to the bed and urged her to sit down. She ran one slim hand through her blonde curls. 'But what do I do? Elphie, I _have _to leave you alone for a clock-tick – I have no idea how this works, I can't deliver a baby! We have to get Lori and Mimi, and Fiyero needs to know, too!'

Elphaba looked crestfallen. 'But…'

'Do you really want _me _to deliver your baby?' Galinda asked pointedly, one eyebrow arched, trying another approach, which actually elicited a small chuckle from her friend. 'No. Okay. I see your point. Just… get back here soon, please?'

'Of course!' The blonde hugged Elphaba before dashing off into the hallway. Elphaba remained seated on the edge of the bed, trying to calm herself by focusing on her breathing. She looked down at her baby bump. 'Just a few more hours, Lys,' she whispered. 'Then I'll be able to hold you. Just come out safely, okay?' She heard commotion in the hallway and she exhaled slowly, knowing that it was going to start for real now. 'Okay,' she said half to herself and half to her unborn baby. 'Here goes nothing.'


	28. Childbirth

**AN: Thank you so much! :)**

**So many things could go wrong... and so many things will 3:). A cliffie, just because I can.**

**BlueD: Please, give me the phone number of your guy :P.**

**And yes, 1katiemariee & Ozian-in-Australia. The baby is indeed coming. *smirk***

* * *

Galinda returned in no time with Lori, Mimika, and Fiyero right on her heels. The blonde bounces on the bed next to Elphaba. 'I'm back!'

'I noticed,' the green girl said drily. Lori laughed softly while Mimi shooed Fiyero away into a corner to get him out of the way while she examined Elphaba. 'Your waters broke indeed, Elphaba, but it's only just beginning. Elyssah won't be born for a long time yet. Try to relax – we've got a long way ahead of us.' She looked at the pregnant girl. 'Have you felt any contractions yet?'

Elphaba hesitated. 'I think so… but it was only one.'

Mimi nodded. 'That's normal, don't worry. Try to keep track of how many contractions you feel and how much time is between them in the next few hours, okay?'

Elphaba nodded and Mimi gave her a reassuring smile. 'Don't worry. I'll admit it's early, but the chances of the baby surviving at this stage of pregnancy are good. Elyssah will be fine, Elphaba. Try to hold on to that.'

As soon as she stepped aside a little, Fiyero practically flung himself at his fiancée. 'Are you okay?'

She glared at him. 'If you're going to go into hysterics again, I'm going to have to ask you to stay away from me until Elyssah is born.'

He started protesting indignantly, but she maintained her glare until he gave in. 'I'll behave.'

She patted his cheek as if he were a small boy. 'Good.'

'Let's not make too big a deal out of this yet,' Mimi suggested. 'She's still far away from actually giving birth.'

'Can I go downstairs to eat, then?' asked Elphaba. 'I'm starving, and this isn't really helping.'

'Sure,' Mimi nodded immediately. 'I'm going to grab a bite myself, but if anything changes, if you feel anything, just send for me and I'll be there immediately. No worries, it'll all be fine.'

Elphaba thanked her and Mimika and Lori left the room, the latter after squeezing the green girl's hand reassuringly. When they were left alone, Elphaba pushed herself up from the bed and started walking to the door as well, but both Galinda and Fiyero grabbed one of her arms to stop her. 'What do you think you're doing?' Galinda demanded in a high voice.

Elphaba looked at her friend patiently. 'Like I said, I'm going downstairs to eat.'

Fiyero shook his head. 'I think you should stay in bed. I'll go get you something,' he offered, but she sent him her most deadly look and he backed off a little involuntarily. 'Stop this nonsense right now or someone is going to end up dead!'

Fiyero stepped closer again. 'At least let me help you-'

Luckily, Lori re-entered the room just then and noticed immediately what was going on. She sighed. 'Elphaba, sweetheart, if you need me to kill them for you, just say the word.'

Elphaba smirked. 'Nah. I take too much pleasure in killing them myself.'

Lori laughed and linked her arm with Elphaba's as they started walking into the hallway together. 'Oh, I remember when Yero was born! Hamold had never really been one to fuss over me all the time, but that day, I just couldn't get rid of him. Even the servants were hovering all the time. So I guess I know how you feel right now.'

Elphaba snorted. 'How did you get rid of them?'

Lori blushed a little. 'I exploded. I yelled at them until nearly every single one of them had fled the room in fear.'

Elphaba laughed and Lori chuckled, too. 'You'll see – if you're lying in a bed, giving birth, in so much pain, and everyone is constantly asking how you're feeling and telling you that it will all be okay and things like that… it's incredibly disturbing. All you want at that moment is to be left alone and yet there everyone was. Combine that fact with the hormones racing through your body and you do things you don't normally do.'

'In that case, let's all hope I don't lose control over my magic,' Elphaba mumbled. 'That would be quite the happening.'

Lori laughed and squeezed her shoulder. 'Don't worry, sweetheart, you'll be fine. Giving birth is a natural thing.' She looked around and gave a slight chuckle. 'On the bright sight: it seems like we have gotten rid of Yero and Galinda.'

Now Elphaba looked slightly guilty. 'I didn't really want to get _rid _of them… I just don't want them to freak out over it.'

'They understand that,' Lori assured her. 'They'll be downstairs with us soon enough, you'll see.'

She turned out to be right and within minutes, nearly everyone had gathered around the dinner table to eat together. Fiyero kept throwing her worried looks and he refused to remove his arm from her waist, but he didn't say anything, for which she was thankful. It was the same with Galinda; large, worried blue eyes followed her everywhere, but no questions of how she was feeling and if she would be okay. Nessa just sat there beaming at her sister, saying proudly, 'I'm going to be an Aunt!' about every three minutes. Paro, Hamold, and Lori, all of whom had a little more common sense, constantly tried to steer the subject away from Elphaba's giving birth, but somehow, Galinda, Nessa, Boq, or Fiyero would inevitably start about it again. All in all, when dinner was over, Elphaba felt exhausted – and not because she was in labour.

She got up and announced that she was going to read a book in the library and that she was _not _to be disturbed; then she fled the room, relieved when she finally sank down in the window sill of the library with one of her favourite books. 'Don't get me wrong, I love your Daddy more than anything in the world,' she told her swollen stomach, 'but sometimes he makes me want to kill him.'

Elyssah kicked in response and Elphaba sniggered. 'I see you already know what I mean.' She sighed and leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the window, staring outside. 'I'm not due for another month, Lys,' she whispered. 'I don't want you to come out yet. What if something goes wrong? You're too small…'

She shook her head and told herself sternly, 'No, I'm not going to think like that. Mimika said that the chances of you surviving are good, Lys, so we'll stick with that, okay? Just… please don't scare me to death again. You've done that enough already and you're not even born yet.'

She heard the library door open, then footsteps coming her way, and she sighed tiredly. Of _course_ they wouldn't listen when she said she wanted to be alone. 'Do you have a death wish?' she asked irritably.

The footsteps stopped. 'I just came to apologise.'

She half-turned to look at Fiyero and he gave her a faint smile. 'I'm really sorry. I shouldn't smother you like that. I know everything is probably going to be fine, but I panicked,' he admitted. 'And I'm sorry.'

'You already said that.' She sighed again, but moved over to make room for him. He sat down behind her and she leaned her back against his chest. 'It's fine. I understand. I just can't handle that right now, you see?'

She felt him nod. 'I do. It won't happen again.'

His fingers tentatively touched her stomach. 'Have you had any other visions? Feelings? Anything?'

She shook her head. 'I think – I hope – that she decided to take my advice and let her magic be for a while.' She laughed softly. 'She'll probably need her strength. She'll be so small…'

Fiyero gently squeezed her shoulder and kissed her hair. 'She'll be fine.'

Elphaba nodded, then cringed when a contraction seized her. 'Ouch.' She took deep breaths until the pain subsided. 'There's still much time in between them.'

'About two hours?' he asked her. She turned to look at him in surprise. 'Yes, actually. How did you know?'

He laughed softly and pulled her back against his chest. 'I read your pregnancy book.'

She snorted with laughter. 'For real?'

He nodded seriously. 'A contraction every two hours means you're still in the first stage of dilation. It'll take a while longer.'

She looked at him in admiration and snuggled up against him. 'I love you.'

He gently kissed her hair again. 'I love you too.'

* * *

Nothing happened for the rest of the evening, except for a contraction every once in a while, so in the evening, everyone just went to bed. They all rose early the next morning and Mimika came in to examine the green girl again, but she was still only about two centimetres dilated. 'Brace yourself, darling,' the woman told Elphaba earnestly. 'This is going to take a while.'

They spent the day in some kind of strange feeling of anticipation – going through their normal routines, but with the possibility of Elphaba giving birth any moment now continuously in the back of their minds. By late afternoon, Elphaba called for Mimika.

'I'm losing blood,' she said, frowning slightly, as the woman entered the room. 'I'm not sure if that's normal. I mean, my contractions are still two hours apart and there are no other signs that I'm about to give birth…'

Mimi examined her once again. 'You are indeed losing some blood… I don't think that's dangerous, but it might be a sign that you're about to make some serious progress in labour. You might want to wash up and change and stay in bed from now on,' she told Elphaba, who nodded, relieved. Fiyero, however, caught the glimpse of worry in his aunt's eyes and went after her to ask her about it, but she denied that anything was going on.

During the night, Elphaba lost more blood and the contractions seized her about every ten minutes now. Fiyero stayed with her through all of it; Mimika, Lori, and Galinda dropped by every now and then to check on her. Elphaba had asked them to let Nessa sleep – she didn't want to wake her younger sister as long as there wasn't really anything going on yet.

'You're five centimetres dilated now,' Mimi told her when she examined her again, around four in the morning. 'But I think she's in a breech position. I can't deliver her when she's not head-first, so I need you to do some exercises to try and turn her around.'

After a few hours of doing the exercises Mimi explained to her, Elphaba was feeling exhausted, especially since she hadn't slept much in the first place. Mimi gently prodded her stomach, put her hands on it and tried to feel the baby, then nodded, looking satisfied. 'She's in a normal position now. You're still going to have to wait, though – you're only six centimetres dilated.'

Elphaba moaned and buried her face in Fiyero's shirt. 'What's taking so long?'

'Some women have difficult childbirths,' Mimi told her sympathetically, 'and some women have easy ones. This is just a case of bad luck.' She stacked her instruments away in her bag. 'Try to get some sleep, Elphaba. You'll need your strength.'

Fiyero helped her lie down and held her close to him, stroking her hair, while she drifted off a few times, snapping awake again every time a contraction hit her. She managed to get a little sleep that way, but when Lori and Mimi came back around noon, she wasn't feeling any less exhausted.

She was actually dozing off again while Mimi examined her, but she caught the worried look the woman shared with Lori and she sat up a little in alarm. 'What's wrong?'

Mimi smiled at her, but it seemed a little forced. 'I'm not sure, to be perfectly honest with you… I'm sure it's nothing, but I'm going to do a few more tests, just to be sure, okay?'

Elphaba nodded tentatively. She felt Fiyero's grip tighten around her and just this time, instead of feeling annoyed because he was overreacting again, she felt grateful that he was there.

Mimi deliberated with Lori for a moment, both of them speaking in hushed voices, before Fiyero's aunt turned back to face the green girl again with a solemn expression on her face. 'Elphaba… I'm going to be honest with you – I'm not liking the blood. It's not unusual to bleed a little during childbirth, but these amounts, and especially while you aren't even fully dilated yet… It worries me.'

Elphaba swallowed. 'What about Elyssah?'

Mimi hesitated. 'I'm not sure. I can't tell exactly where the blood comes from – Elyssah might be fine. Like I said, her chances at survival are good. It's you I'm worried about right now.'

Fiyero's grip on her became almost painful.

'So what do we do?' Elphaba asked, trying to keep breathing normally, to not get a panic attack. 'Is there anything we can do at all?'

Mimika shook her head. 'Not much, Elphaba – I'm sorry. I just hope you can fight through this on your own. Trying to relax might really be all you can do right now.'

She left with the promise to check up on her again later, but Lori stayed, pulling in a chair to sit next to the bed.

Elphaba just sat there for a while, trying to wrap her mind around what was happening and meanwhile clenching her teeth at a new contraction, when she felt something wet dripping in her neck. She turned, only to find Fiyero crying.

Her heart broke at the mere sight – she had almost never seen him cry. She lifted one hand to gently wipe the tears from his face. 'Yero…'

'I'm sorry,' he sniffled, but she kissed him softly. 'Don't be. But please don't cry, Yero. Elyssah will be fine.' Frankly, she said that as much to reassure herself as she did it to reassure Fiyero.

He looked at her incredulously. 'Elyssah isn't the one Aunt Mimi was worried about, Fae!'

'I'm not going anywhere,' she told him firmly, kissing him again. 'After everything that's happened, everything we've been through, you really think I'm going to die in _childbirth_, of all things? Na-ah. Billions of women have done it before me and I'm going to get through it, too.' For a moment, she sounded like her old self again, determined with just the slightest touch of sarcasm, and it reassured him. A little.

'I just hope Elyssah makes it,' Elphaba whispered, laying one hand across her stomach. Fiyero took her other hand and kissed her fingers. 'She will.'

Another contraction gripped Elphaba and Lori leaned forward to squeeze the green girl's shoulder. 'Breathe deeply. Yes, like that. Very good.' She kept talking until the contraction subsided and Elphaba rested her head against Fiyero's shoulder, exhausted. Lori took her hand and said, 'Elphaba, listen to me. I'm going to teach you a rhythm in which to breathe, to make the contractions easier, okay?' The green girl nodded and Lori demonstrated the breathing technique, telling Elphaba to repeat it until she had it under control. She tested it out at her next contraction and found it did indeed make it easier.

'I would really like to wash up,' she admitted. 'I feel bloody and sweaty and gross and since Mimika says it can take another while… Do you think I can?'

'Of course you can!' Lori encouraged her. 'You and Fiyero go to the bathroom – I'll ask some servants to change the bedding, too, so you'll feel a bit cleaner. Don't worry, sweetheart, everything will be just fine!' She patted Elphaba's arm once more before rushing out to find the servants.

After taking a bath and settling herself back in the bed, she found the contractions speeding up a little. She was still bleeding, but not as profusely as before, which was a relief. Mimi came back, to stay this time, and Galinda poked her head around the doorsill as well. 'How are you, Elphie?'

The green girl, in the middle of another contraction, sweat gleaming on her forehead, groaned. 'Kill me now.'

Galinda giggled and went to sit at the bedside to hold her friend's hand. 'I bet you're almost done now!'

Elphaba looked hopefully at Mimika, but the woman shook her head with a sympathetic smile. 'Sorry, darling. Eight centimetres. You're progressing very slowly.'

Elphaba grunted and her head fell back onto the pillows with a soft thump. 'This is torture. If you want more children, you can deliver the next one,' she told Fiyero, who chuckled softly. 'I'm sorry, Fae. I wish I could help you, but there's not much I can do.'

'I guess I'll just go again,' Galinda said, reluctantly getting up. 'You probably don't want too many people around when you're delivering a baby, do you?'

Elphaba caught her friend's hand. 'No… please stay,' she managed to choke out from between clenched teeth, focusing on her breathing once again at the next contraction.

Galinda hesitated. 'Are you sure?'

Elphaba nodded frantically. 'You're my best friend. I want you here. Please?'

'Of course,' the blonde agreed softly, squeezing her friend's hand. 'You're doing great, Elphie. Just a few more… um… hours.' She started counting on her fingers; then her face twisted in horror. 'You've been in labour of _two days _already?!' she nearly screeched.

Elphaba chuckled breathlessly. 'I guess it runs in the family. It took my mother thirty-four hours to deliver me and twenty-six for Nessa.'

Galinda looked horrified. 'Sweet Oz… That's horrendible! Awful! How do you stand it?'

'I'm not sure myself,' Elphaba grunted. She was practically squeezing Fiyero's and Galinda's hands to mush, but neither one of them made a sound, even though she knew she must be hurting them.

After an hour or so more, along with her losing more blood again, Mimi finally told her the words she wanted to hear. 'You're ten centimetres dilated, Elphaba. At the next contraction, push.'

Elphaba gritted her teeth and tightened her grip, and pushed. She felt awful, exhausted, and the pain was blinding, but she knew she couldn't give up now. Just a few more moments and she would be able to hold her daughter in her arms. That thought gave her the strength she needed to push again.

Fiyero had moved behind her, so that her back was against his chest in a half-sitting position, and she could brace herself against him as she pushed. He was gently stroking strands of hair from her face, whispering comforting words in her ear; Galinda, on her other side, kept silent for once as she watched the whole happening in awe. Lori was standing with Mimika, assisting her when needed, as the woman urged Elphaba to push a few more times. 'I can see the head, Elphaba. I can see the head! Just a little while longer!'

The room was spinning around her. She felt as if she couldn't go on any longer, as if there wasn't an ounce of strength left in her body, but somehow, she managed to push again. And again.

Galinda was squeezing Elphaba's hand just as hard as the green girl was squeezing the blonde's as she watched Fiyero's aunt and mother as they helped Elphaba delivered her baby. _Please let them be all right,_ Galinda begged in silence. _Elphie wouldn't be able to bear it if something happened to Elyssah. And Fiyero wouldn't be able to bear it if something happened to Elphaba – and neither would I._

Elphaba looked dreadfully pale and tears filled Galinda's eyes as she watched them, Fiyero and Elphaba, together, him encouraging her, her clinging to him, to his touch, to his voice, to stay conscious and finish this. 'Just one more!' Mimi called and Elphaba squeezed her eyes shut and pushed. Galinda gasped as her friend nearly crushed the bones in her hand, but her own pain was soon forgotten when she watched in awe as Mimi held up a small creature. A baby. Elphie's baby.

Fiyero cried as he saw his daughter for the first time. She was small, but she was perfect. He cradled Elphaba close to him and whispered, 'Do you see that? That's our baby girl!'

Only when she didn't respond and he noticed that her eyes were closed, he became aware of two horrible things at the same time. One: Elphaba's body had gone completely limp against his and she wasn't moving. And two: neither did Elyssah. She neither moved nor cried.

An awful, eerie silence filled the room.

* * *

**MUHAHAHAHAHAHA.**


	29. Yero My Hero

**AN: I'm so sorry for leaving you in suspense for so long! Lack of inspiration + awfully busy university schedule + horrendible cold = no updates. I'm sorry. But here it is, the very final chapter of this story. I'm not sure if I ended it well, or perhaps too soon, but I didn't feel there was much left to write. I mean, I could do the wedding and stuff, but I did weddings in my other stories... Perhaps that will sneak its way into the sequel (which I won't be writing yet, just so you know).**

**Ahem... So... um... Wicked4Life? I think I need protection. I think someone just cut off my legs and many other someones want to kill me. Gulp.**

**Nah, that won't be necessary after this chapter anymore - I hope.**

**So I hope you like this, thank you all so much for reading and reviewing, don't forget to leave me one last review, and buh-bye!**

**P.S. Yes, I looked it up :3 since I don't know the slightest thing about childbirth... it can actually take that long. I hope no such horrors will be awaiting me if I ever give birth.**

* * *

Strangely enough, it was Galinda who saved the day.

Mimika started working on Elyssah, trying to get the newborn baby to breathe, and Lori ran outside, calling for a doctor with the panic clear in her voice. Fiyero was merely trying his hardest not to cry or break down; instead, he searched for a heartbeat in Elphaba's neck, and he nearly cried again with relief when he found it. It was faint, it was weak, but it was there. He looked over at Mimi, who was trying frantically to revive Elyssah, but with no luck at all.

Galinda, in the meantime, had crouched next to him on the bed, looking at her friend worriedly, but not panicky. 'Is she…'

'She's alive,' Fiyero told her. His voice broke. 'But barely.'

Galinda nodded, seeming unusually practical for her doing. When she jumped from the bed and pushed several frantic servants aside to get to Mimi and Elyssah, Fiyero thought for a moment that she _was_ completely panicking; but then she gently pushed his aunt aside and carefully started to work on Elyssah, the way her father had taught her to. She had never practised on a baby before, but she knew she had to at least try. She carefully blew air into Elyssah's lungs, then placed two fingers on the baby's chest and gingerly pushed in a heartbeat's rhythm. Fiyero watched in awe and even Mimi, who had delivered and even revived many babies in her life, stood back and let the petit blonde do whatever it was she was doing.

Suddenly, a weak, but very audible baby's cry filled the room. Galinda exhaled slowly, releasing the breath she hadn't realised she had been holding, and leaned back a little. Mimi fussed over the baby, examining her, then cleaning her and wrapping her in a blanket. The servants, completely awestruck, applauded for Galinda. Meanwhile, Fiyero had finally started crying.

It wasn't over yet, though. The palace doctor came rushing in and quickly examined both Elphaba and the baby; he decided that Elyssah was fine and that no permanent damage was done, but that they needed to get Elphaba to a hospital now because she had lost way too much blood. Without hesitation, Fiyero scooped his fiancée up in his arms and followed the doctor. Mimi handed Elyssah over to Galinda, who, despite everything, beamed with pride and let out a small squeal at that. The blonde looked after the baby while Mimi and Lori went to wake the others and tell them what had happened. It wasn't before long that they all went after the couple towards the hospital.

* * *

When Elphaba's eyes fluttered open, the first thing she could see was Fiyero's face. She blinked a few times and he watched her anxiously. 'Fae?'

She blinked again. 'What… what happened?' she asked, feeling slightly confused. Fiyero's face broke into an immensely relieved smile and he carefully wrapped his arms around her and clutched her to him. 'Thank Oz.'

She was feeling weak and dizzy and disoriented. What had happened again, exactly? She remembered being in labour, Mimi telling her she was worried because she was losing too much blood…

She wrinkled her nose. 'Am I dying?' she asked rather matter-of-factly.

He chuckled faintly – more because of the tension than because her question had been so funny. 'No, Fae, you're not. Thank Oz you're not. I would have probably looked slightly more upset if you were.'

'Oh. Okay.' Her mind was working way too slow. 'Good.' Then suddenly, _everything_ came rushing back to her and her eyes widened. 'Elyssah!'

'She's fine,' Fiyero reassured her immediately and she relaxed again. He smiled down at her and moved a little, so she could see what was behind him. There was Galinda, sleeping soundly in one of the hospital chairs. And lying against the blonde's shoulder, also in deep sleep, was Elyssah.

Elphaba's eyes filled with tears at the sight and when she looked back at Fiyero, she saw that he was crying, too. 'She's perfect,' she said in a choked voice, and Fiyero held her close again. 'She almost didn't make it,' he said softly. 'She wasn't breathing when she came out. Galinda saved her, the way she saved me before – you know, when I was shot.'

Elphaba pulled back a little to look at him with huge, dark eyes. 'Is she really okay?'

Fiyero nodded, smiling. 'She is. She's perfectly fine, Fae.'

At that, the raven-haired girl sighed and leaned back against Fiyero, suddenly feeling exhausted. 'Can I hold her?'

'Of course you can. You're her mother.' Fiyero got up and carefully took Elyssah from Galinda's arms. The baby fussed a little and made some indignant little sounds, but when she opened her eyes and saw the face of her father, she calmed down. Fiyero handed his daughter to his fiancée and tears filled his eyes all over again when he watched them together.

Elphaba gently stroked her daughter's hair. 'Hi, baby,' she whispered, tracing Elyssah's features with her index finger. 'You're perfect, you know that?' She looked up at Fiyero and returned his smile, her eyes mirroring the wonder and amazement he knew must be visible in his. 'She's just like my vision.'

Fiyero studied his daughter's face. Elphaba's silky black hair, but Fiyero's bright azure eyes. And she wasn't green. Not that he cared; he just noticed it.

Elphaba now looked at her friend, who was still sleeping, curled up in the uncomfortable hospital chair. 'She really saved Elyssah?'

Fiyero nodded. 'She did.'

The green girl gazed up at him, eyes unreadable. 'We should thank her. She helped save you, too, and now she saved our daughter…' She hesitated. 'Would you mind if… if she would be Elyssah's godmother?'

Fiyero kissed the tip of her nose. 'Fae, you can thank Galinda any way you'd like. She did save us, and in my opinion, no 'thank you' would ever be enough. Thank her in any way you see fit.'

She kissed him back. 'Thank you, Yero.' She looked at him solemnly. 'I also heard you saved me again by taking me to the hospital.'

'Anyone else would have taken you to the hospital if I hadn't been there,' he protested, but she shook her head. 'Perhaps. But it was you who did it.'

He smiled down at her. 'So I'm still Yero your hero, then?'

She leaned up and kissed him slowly. 'You'll always be Yero my hero.'

She was lost in thought for a moment, staring down at her newborn daughter's face. 'Seems like everyone has been saving everyone for the past nine months.'

Fiyero made a face. 'It almost seems like a conspiracy, doesn't it? I hope it's over now, though,' he told her sternly. 'No more giving me near heart attacks, all right? You've scared me enough for a lifetime.'

She chuckled breathlessly. 'I'll try my best.'

Galinda stirred in her chair, moaned softly, then opened her eyes sleepily. 'Elphie?'

'I'm here,' the green girl said, smiling at her friend. Galinda was on her feet instantly and hugged her former roommate. 'How are you feeling?'

'Far too weak and wobbly for my liking,' Elphaba grumbled truthfully. 'But I'll be fine.'

Galinda giggled, then cooed at the little girl in Elphaba's arms. 'Hi, Lyssie!'

'Lys, say hello to your godmother!' the green girl said with a beaming smile and Galinda drew in her breath with a sharp hiss. 'Really, Elphie?'

Elphaba smiled at her. 'Really. You saved her, Lin. You're her godmother – that is, if you want to be.'

Galinda beamed like the sun. 'Oh, Elphie, Fiyero, thank you so much! So very very very much! I'd love to be!' She bent forward to kiss Elyssah's forehead and tickle her under her chin. 'You hear that, Lyssie? You're my goddaughter!' The blonde looked up then. 'Have you decided on a middle name yet? You should name her after Fiyero's mother, you know – or after Nessa, perhaps, since she's your sister and all… or after _your_ mother, Elphie!'

'I have to admit we have considered all of those,' said Fiyero. 'And though my Mom is the best, Nessa is a sweet girl and Melena was a wonderful mother to Fae, however short she had a chance to be… Elphaba found someone even more deserving to be named after.'

'Who then?' Galinda asked curiously. Elphaba laughed. 'You, silly!'

Now the blonde looked ready to faint. 'You chose _Galinda_ as her middle name?!'

'Elyssah Galinda Tiggular,' Fiyero said proudly, looking down at his fiancée and daughter. 'I think it's perfect.'

Elphaba smiled and looked at Elyssah's face as well, then at her best friend. 'It is.'

'Oh, thank you!' Galinda hugged them both, nearly squashing the baby in between them, and sniffled. 'Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!'

'You deserve it, Lin,' Elphaba said, still smiling. Galinda tried her hardest not to cry, but tears were rolling down her cheeks anyway. 'Oh, Oz, now I'm ruining my make-up!' she complained, making everyone laugh. She giggled. 'This is all so amazing! I'm so glad everything worked out in the end!' She hesitated for a moment. 'You know, um… there's this… really long line of people waiting outside your room until they can see you. The doctor says it's okay with him if it's okay with you, but if you're tired…'

Elphaba shook her head. 'I'm fine, Lin, thanks. You can send them in.'

'One by one,' Fiyero added, and Elphaba scoffed at him. 'There won't be _that _many people, Yero.'

Galinda grinned. 'Well… actually… I think I finally managed to make you popular, Elphie.'

Elphaba's eyes widened. 'Oh sweet Oz.'

Galinda left the room and the first to come in was Lori, followed by Hamold. Both of them were simply infatuated with Elyssah and were very happy that both Elphaba and the baby were okay. Next was Nessa, who was a little annoyed that no one had told her anything until hours ago, but she, too, melted when she laid eyes on her niece. Boq was a little awkward around babies, but he was genuinely happy for them. Mimika apologised for not having been able to be much of a help, at which Elphaba assured that on the contrary, she had been a _great_ help, and that she couldn't have done it without her. Paro was beaming, calling himself 'Uncle Paro' already. Moss and Laoyar did a silly little dance to try and make the baby smile, at which Fiyero pointed out drily that babies don't smile until they're at least one month old. Fiyero's uncles, Kor and Jerro, congratulated them both. Even Doctor Dandaron, the Thropp's old family doctor from Munchkinland, had heard the news and had shown up to see for himself that Elphaba was okay. He couldn't stop smiling when he saw her with her daughter. 'I'm so, so sorry, Elphaba,' he apologised for what must be at least the fifth time. 'I should have just ignored Frex and help you right away.'

'You couldn't,' Elphaba said simply. 'I don't blame you. And it all turned out well in the end, didn't it?' She smiled down at her baby and Dandaron, seeing how truly happy she was right now, smiled as well. 'Yes. Yes, thank Oz it did.'

Then Galinda appeared again, looking slightly bewildered. 'There are more people outside, Elphie – do you believe this? I don't know any of them, but Paro says they're just the Vinkuns wanting to congratulate their Crown Prince and his fiancée with their baby.'

Fiyero groaned. 'I'm not even king yet and they're going crazy already.'

'They love you, that's all,' Galinda defended the people. 'You just do that. You go crazy for the people you love.'

Elphaba and Fiyero exchanged a significant look.

* * *

Elphaba and Elyssah's coming back home was a huge happening – and an excuse for yet another feast. Elphaba, still tiring easily, didn't take part in much of the festivities; she just spent time in her room with her newborn daughter and was perfectly contend doing so. Fiyero tried to socialise for some time, but since he couldn't take his mind off his family anyway, he just left and went to sit with them after a while. 'How are you feeling?'

'Physically, I've been better,' replied Elphaba. 'Emotionally… well, I _don't_ think I've ever been better.'

He smiled at that and kissed her. Then he took her hand. 'Come with me.'

'What?' She looked slightly baffled. 'Where?'

'Just come,' he said, and she shook her head. 'What about Elyssah?'

'I'll take care of my godchild for a while!' Galinda chirped, as if on cue, and danced through the room to take Elyssah from Elphaba's hands. 'I'm going to show her off at the party. Don't worry, she'll be fine, as soon as she gets tired, I'll take her back,' she reassured her friend before hopping off with the baby in her arms.

Fiyero, having planned all this, lead her through the castle and outside, into the gardens. It was a beautiful summer evening, still warm, even though the sun had set already, but not too hot. The gardens looked breathtaking; there were colours everywhere, flowers and bushes and fountains galore. They walked for a while before Fiyero motioned for her to sit down on a blanket. He went to sit next to her and a servant, appearing from what seemed out of nowhere, handed him a basket before disappearing again. Fiyero pulled out a bottle of champagne, a bowl filled with small pieces of fruit, and a pot with melted chocolate. 'We've had so little privacy lately,' he explained, 'and things have been crazy, of course… I just thought we could use this. Just you and me together, you know?'

She threw her arms around him and hugged him. 'It's perfect, Yero. Thank you so much.'

He poured them two glasses of champagne and they toasted. 'To love,' Fiyero said.

'To family,' Elphaba added.

Fiyero finished with a clink of their glasses. 'To a perfect life.'

They drank a little and then Fiyero started feeding her pieces of fruit dipped in the chocolate, which was absolutely delicious. When the food was gone, she lay down with her head in his lap and he played with her silky strands of raven hair as she watched the stars. 'I love you.'

'I love you, too,' he said, kissing her forehead. He went to lie down next to her and they watched the stars together for a while, until Elphaba spoke up. 'Do you remember our first date?'

He laughed softly and she felt his chest vibrating. 'How could I not?'

'This is actually quite like it,' she said quietly. 'Watching the stars together… I would point out the star constellations to you, but you already know them – I told you about them then. Or, well, I think you remember them. You seemed very interested.'

'I was interested, but I didn't hear a word you said,' he confessed with a slight chuckle. 'I think I was entranced by the sound of your voice.'

She poked his ribs. 'Ha, ha.'

'Actually, I was being serious,' he told her and she looked at him with those huge dark eyes. 'You're such a moron.'

'That sounds as if we're back in the infirmary at Shiz again,' he murmured in her hair, and she relaxed against him. 'I remember.' She wrinkled her nose. 'I spent way too much time in infirmaries and hospitals lately, you know that? I hope it's not going to be a habit. I hate hospitals.'

'I won't let you go near one ever again. Unless your life is in danger, of course.'

She laughed softly. 'Ah, well…' She stared up at the stars again. 'If this was really like our first date, I would start yawning right now.'

'And I would tell you it looked cute.'

'I would laugh at you.'

'And you would fall asleep against my shoulder.'

She shuddered. 'Don't bring that up. I don't think I've ever done anything more embarrassing in my life. What girl falls asleep on her first date with the boy she loves?'

He kissed her hair. 'You do. Because you're not like other girls. And that's what I like about you.' He paused for a clock-tick. 'Plus, that was adorable as well.'

She smacked his arm. 'You're being an idiot again.'

'In that case, let me do something idiotic.' He got up suddenly and she followed his example. 'What are you doing?'

He cleared his throat. 'I don't feel I got to do this properly. I mean, we agreed to marry, but my proposal wasn't really… romantic, or anything. I mean, you were half sleeping and so was I. So I felt like I had to do it over. For real, you know?'

She was struck speechless. 'Yero…'

He went down upon one knee and took her hand. 'Elphaba… Fae. I love you so much, more than I can ever express to you. We haven't been together for all that long, but I knew right from the start that you were the love of my life, the only one for me, my soul mate. We've been through so much together, but we're still standing, and we came back better than ever. I'm the happiest man in the world and the only thing that could possibly make me even happier is if you would agree to marry me and let me spend the rest of my life with you.'

She looked into his eyes, those sparkling, azure depths that told her everything she needed to know. 'Yes,' she said softly. 'Yes, Yero my hero, I do.'

His face broke into a grin and he kissed the engagement ring she was wearing on the ring finger of her left hand. Then he sprang to his feet, lifted her up and twirled her around in the air, both of them laughing, before he put her down again and pulled her to him for a long, loving kiss. He didn't know what more horrors might await them in the future. He didn't know for how long they would be together before something – or someone – would come along again to try and break them apart. What he did know, however, was that he would do anything to protect his family. They were going to stay together. Always. Him, his amazing fiancée and their beautiful daughter. Elphaba deserved her happy ending, and he was determined to give that to her.

They went back to lying down again, her with her cheek pressed to his chest, listening to his heartbeat, feeling his chest rising and falling. Sometimes it still all felt like a dream to her, but if it was, it was a dream she never wanted to wake up from. She couldn't believe she had this, that Fiyero, the most amazing man in Oz, was hers, and that they had a baby girl together. She closed her eyes and thought of the vision Elyssah had shown her, the vision of the future, their future together as a family. A smile graced her lips and she snuggled closer to Fiyero, feeling him wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to him. 'Are you happy?' he whispered softly.

She smiled and lifted her head a little to kiss him, before telling him in all honesty, 'I couldn't be happier.'


End file.
